grouchyeditor.com None

 

*****

 

grouchyeditor.com Spike

 

Battle of the Sexists

 

Just when it looks as if the presidential campaign can’t possibly get any more juvenile … the nation must now prepare itself for what looks to be an epic battle between Hillary and Donald. In other words, boys against girls.

According to her detractors, Hillary wants to help everyone except white males. According to his detractors, Donald mostly wants to, uh, help attractive females. Toss in Melania, Monica, Megyn, and Bill, and this election should be the most fun any of us have had since we gave each other cooties in kindergarten.

(In the picture above, that’s Trump on the left, obviously. Not sure if the girl is Clinton or Fox anchor Megyn Kelly.)

 

*****

 

grouchyeditor.com None

 

The so-called golden age of television seems to be in a creative lull – at least in terms of one-hour dramas and miniseries produced in the U.S.A. There are a few pretty good new shows (Billions, The People v. O. J. Simpson, et al), but nothing I’d call “must-see TV.”

Thank goodness for the British, at least this week, for giving us two dramatic treats: And Then There Were None on Lifetime (I know, I know – Lifetime? I can’t believe it either), and the second season of Happy Valley on Netflix. The former is my second-favorite adaptation of the classic Agatha Christie mystery. Lifetime’s British import (pictures above and at bottom) is gloomy, moody, and more faithful to the original novel, but I still give a slight edge to the 1945 movie, which is completely different in tone (light and fun), but oh-so-entertaining.

As for Happy Valley, I binge-watched all six episodes in one day, mostly for one reason: Sarah Lancashire (pictured below) absolutely rules as crime-fighting grandmother Catherine Cawood, a Yorkshire copper whose beat comprises a valley community that is anything but happy. Yes, I said “crime-fighting grandmother,” which in this case is nowhere near as precious as it sounds. We are not talking about Miss Marple. Click here to read my review of the first season.

 

grouchyeditor.com Happy Valley

grouchyeditor.com None

 

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grouchyeditor.com Trump

 

Trump

 

Sure is a relief that America put all of its racial problems behind it in the 1960s … isn’t it?

 

*****

 

Instead of shutting down Trump rallies, I suggest we shut down this kind of thing:

 

grouchyeditor.com Girl

 

*****

 

grouchyeditor.com Obama

 

I don’t suppose Obama’s good news has anything to do with the current crop of idiots hoping to move into the White House.

 

*****

 

grouchyeditor.com Trump 2

 

Quote

 

Trump can be very humble about his good qualities. After all, he admits that Lincoln might be more presidential, and that the Bible might be better than Trump: The Art of the Deal. But as this wacky article from The Daily Beast demonstrates, no one is more entertaining than Trump when he pops up in your dreams.

 

*****

 

Louis C.K.’s courageous stand

 

A summary of the comedian’s political advice to his followers this week:

 

Trump is Hitler, but I don’t want to lose any conservative fans, so I recommend that you vote for that bold and fresh Republican voice, John Kasich.

 

Then again, I can’t really blame Louis for speaking out. This is easily the craziest presidential election process that I’ve ever witnessed, and I’ve voted in all of them since 1976. But geez … John Kasich?

 

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Unfriended

grouchyeditor.com Unfriend

 

For anyone who’s ever been creeped out by an anonymous lurker, or a troll, on the Internet, Unfriended will hit home at least for the first half of the movie, in which a small group of tech-savvy teens find their Skype call invaded by an unwelcome visitor. Unfortunately, events that follow – involving a ghost and some vicious online behavior – grow more and more ridiculous. If nothing else, the movie, which occurs entirely online, is a good primer for novice users of Instagram, Facebook, and other sites where the kids hang out.  Release: 2015  Grade: B-

 

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grouchyeditor.com Leo

 

Like everyone else in America, I was moved to tears when much-maligned Leo DiCaprio was finally recognized by his peers with an Oscar for his role in The Revenant.

What made Leo’s acceptance speech so memorable was the moment we were all pining for: Leo’s sage advice to the little people to do not as he does, but as he says, and to strive hard to combat global warming.

OK, that’s a bit unfair. We understand, Leo, that you give a lot of time, energy, and bucks to promote the cause. But don’t you think it also might help if you set a better example in your personal life?

 

grouchyeditor.com Leo

 

grouchyeditor.com Leo

 

*****

 

grouchyeditor.com Downton

 

Downton Abbey ends tomorrow, and it seems to be going out not with a bang, but with a whimper — probably because it’s one of those series that overstayed its welcome by a season or two. Nevertheless, I’m sorry to see the old gang go.

Pictured above is either the cast of Downton Abbey, or a diverse gathering from one of Donald Trump’s rallies.

 

*****

 

grouchyeditor.com Trump

 

Since penis size was the highlight of the most recent Republican debate, I believe I speak for the entire country when I say that we are all looking forward to Hillary and Donald debating the merits of her fat ass versus his big dick.

 

grouchyeditor.com Moore

 

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grouchyeditor.com Trump

 

 

Physical Appearance Week!

 

He sweats a lot. He pissed in his pants. She’s too fat. He’s got huge ears.

 

This is why we haven’t been contacted by visitors from other planets. They know that the first thing we’ll do is judge their appearance. God knows I would never do such a thing. I’m just here to help. Here are some helpful suggestions:

 

.grouchyeditor.com Mom grouchyeditor.com Trump

 

Donald Trump needs to stay away from the tanning booth. Or the spray can, or whatever the hell it is that he uses. He’s beginning to resemble “Tan Mom.”

 

**

 

.                   grouchyeditor.com Black     grouchyeditor.com Vikings

                                  Black Sails                                          Vikings

 

The heroes on shows like Black Sails and Vikings:  I’m pretty sure that real Vikings and real pirates did not look like this. These dudes must be replaced, because they look like male models from the year 2016.

 

**

. 1

. 4

 

Cheryl Tiegs caught hell for criticizing a fat girl who modeled for Sports Illustrated. Tiegs was right. The fat model is unhealthy, unsightly, and a bad role model. I might change my mind if the fat defenders would come out in support of smokers, but they don’t, so the hell with them. They are unhappy because society won’t embrace their desire to pig out on ice cream.

Below, Sports Illustrated “plus-size” model Ashley Graham strikes a cheeky pose … or perhaps not.

 

. grouchyeditor.com chubby

 

*****

 

Tweets

 

I don’t understand the fuss over Donald Trump’s misspellings on Twitter. Trump did, after all, inform us that he loves the “poorly educated.”

 

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grouchyeditor.com Adele

 

I rarely watch the Grammys. The last time might have been in 2010, when Taylor Swift stunk up the joint singing an off-key duet with Stevie Nicks (below). On Sunday, I tuned in again, just in time to hear Adele stink up the joint with her off-key singing.  I really need to stop watching the Grammys.

 

grouchyeditor.com Swift

 

*****

 

FX

 

I was shocked by FX’s decision to have a character do something naughty on the most recent episode of The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. Actress Sarah Paulson, playing Marcia Clark, had … wait, what’s this? Folks were upset because she uttered a curse word?

Silly me. I had mistakenly assumed that everyone was upset because Paulson/Clark was repeatedly shown doing something much more horrific than cursing: smoking a cigarette.

 

*****

 

.    .            Serota            Shrimp

 

“GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump inspects his own shriveled manhood after taking a shower.”

“Artist Illma Gore … actually drew Trump and his popcorn shrimp in all of its majestic glory.”

“The rendering of the blowhard Oompa Loompa’s thimble dick is titled ‘Make America Great Again.’”

 

— Maggie Serota (above left) of Death and Taxes, commenting on an Internet “portrait” (above right) of Donald Trump.

 

“Shriveled manhood?” “Popcorn shrimp?” “Thimble dick?”

What’s all this grumbling I hear about poor Hillary Clinton, as the only female presidential candidate, being unfairly judged on her looks?

 

*****

 

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show — Isn’t it bad enough that we have One Percenters owning and running the country? Must we have One Percent dogs, as well?

 

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A Tribute to Ben Carszzzzzzzzzzzzzz …

 

grouchyeditor.com Carson

 

Apologies to Donald Trump, but with knife fights, a trip to Florida to get fresh-laundered clothes, and a botched entrance at the Republican debate, sleepy-eyed Ben Carson gets our vote for “Entertaining Candidate of the Year.”

 

.                  grouchyeditor.com Carson

 

.          grouchyeditor.com Carson     grouchyeditor.com Carson

 

*****

 

The villainous Martin Shkreli reminded me of someone, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. And then it came to me:

 

.                              grouchyeditor.com Laurel     grouchyeditor.com Laurel

 

*****

 

Not sure why this dumb video amuses me so much, but it does.

 

*****

 

The Good News:  Craig Ferguson is back with a new panel show on History channel.

The Bad News:  The show is only on once a week. For just 30 minutes per episode. That’s not enough Craig Ferguson.

 

*****

 

This week, I learned the significance of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). People kept posting about “Bernie Sandwiches” and “Puppy Monkey Baby,” and I had no idea what they were going on about.

Now I know, and since I don’t know how to channel my feelings about the Puppy Monkey Baby, I’ll just make you look at this:

 

 

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Kingsman: The Secret Service

grouchyeditor.com Kingsman

 

A street kid is recruited by an international spy (Colin Firth) to combat an evil billionaire (Samuel L. Jackson) who plans to dramatically reduce Earth’s human population – ostensibly to combat global warming. This British spy movie is more in line with the sillier James Bond adventures starring Roger Moore than with the more recent, dead-serious Daniel Craig outings. The plot is outlandish and the villains cartoonish, but hey, that’s what we paid for. And besides, who doesn’t want to “do it in the asshole” with Swedish actress Hanna Alstrom? Release: 2015  Grade: B

 

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Manning

 

Is Super Jock Peyton Manning a lying sack of shit, an NFL rule breaker and a sexual harasser? Probably. Will we ever learn to stop idolizing our athletic heroes, no matter what they do off the field? Probably not.

 

*****

 

Watters

 

Bill O’Reilly sent Jesse Watters (above) to the University of Oregon to try to make students look foolish with Watters’s man-on-the-street interviews.

 

Watters:  Why do you like Bernie [Sanders]?

Student:  He’s a great congressman.

Watters:  He’s a senator.

(Sound of crickets, to emphasize to viewers how empty-headed this student is)

 

 

Watters Thursday

 

Who’s the pinhead now?

 

*****

 

Once upon a time, The Huffington Post at least made a token effort to appear objective in its “hard news” stories. Nowadays, we get this kind of thing:

 

Objective

 

*****

 

Something to consider before you vote for our next president: Whose voice can you stand to listen to for four years, or possibly eight? It’s easy to look away from the TV when some annoying politician is on the air, but it’s often impossible to avoid the sound of his or her voice.

It’s been nearly eight years now, but when I close my eyes, I can still hear the nasal twang of George Bush:  “Some say …” .

 

*****

 

grouchyeditor.com Molly Rosenblatt

 

“We’re talking one to three inches – not that impressive.” – weather girl Molly Rosenblatt, at left in the picture above, insulting half her audience … or perhaps just me.

 

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by Umberto Eco

grouchyeditor.com Rose

 

I love this book, much as I love the movie it inspired, mostly for the world it so vividly recreates: a 14th-century monastery in the mountains of northern Italy, populated by monks, peasants – and an apparent serial killer. Although this medieval community is a great place to visit in a book, you probably wouldn’t want to live there. Not unless you enjoy fetching water from wells, laboring from dawn to dusk, and adhering to the strict lifestyle of a monk.

Eco, a scholar specializing in signs and symbols, depicts this world of bookish monks and warring religious factions with painstaking detail. (Alas, at times the reader might also experience pain; Eco’s lengthy philosophical and historical conversations can grow tiresome.)

The plot is driven a la Agatha Christie – someone is picking off abbey denizens, one by one – and the protagonist is courtesy of Arthur Conan Doyle – a brilliant Franciscan friar named William of Baskerville investigates the murders but above all it’s the atmospheric sense of time and place that makes this tale so absorbing.

 

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