Feud
Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On
Gangsters: Faces of the Underworld
Samurai Gourmet
Con Men Case Files
Look at Us Now, Mother!
The Doctor Blake Mysteries
So let's start with the only pick I have for traditional tv. I mentioned the show in last month's WIBW but the season came to a close earlier this month and it's been in my head ever since. This was such a heartbreaking, beautiful look at a feud that has intrigued me since I got into classic films a few years ago. The season finale was the inevitable tragic spiral downward for Joan Crawford, and even more of a look into the resilience, the stubbornness and the mental fortitude that Bette Davis possessed in the twilight years of her career. For a classic film buff like me, I didn't go into this expecting to learn a bunch of new things about Baby Jane or its lead actresses, and I didn't. But it spoke to that part of my mind that always imagines a happy ending, regardless of how brief, fleeting or delusion-induced it was. I admired both of these actresses greatly before the show premiered, and it was my biggest hope that the show would do them justice without tarnishing their memories. It was my biggest fear that today's drama-hungry society would only soak up the salacious, raunchy and dirty parts, meme them (a trend that I can guarantee with certainty that both actresses, Joan in particular, would have absolutely abhorred), and spit them back out, potentially ruining these actresses all over again for probably the last generation that will know of them. But this was so beautifully done in a truly wonderful tribute to both the long-gone days of Old Hollywood and the two iconic actresses that were the subject of this season. You would think that a show about a feud couldn't possibly be about a tribute, but it was. In addition to showing those ugly, infamous moments that have long outlived their creators, they also showed moments of vulnerability, of insecurity, those moments when these icons were just women dealing with society's rules and the reality of life at that time. I absolutely loved it.
Gangsters: Faces of the Underworld
Samurai Gourmet
Con Men Case Files
Look at Us Now, Mother!
The Doctor Blake Mysteries
So let's start with the only pick I have for traditional tv. I mentioned the show in last month's WIBW but the season came to a close earlier this month and it's been in my head ever since. This was such a heartbreaking, beautiful look at a feud that has intrigued me since I got into classic films a few years ago. The season finale was the inevitable tragic spiral downward for Joan Crawford, and even more of a look into the resilience, the stubbornness and the mental fortitude that Bette Davis possessed in the twilight years of her career. For a classic film buff like me, I didn't go into this expecting to learn a bunch of new things about Baby Jane or its lead actresses, and I didn't. But it spoke to that part of my mind that always imagines a happy ending, regardless of how brief, fleeting or delusion-induced it was. I admired both of these actresses greatly before the show premiered, and it was my biggest hope that the show would do them justice without tarnishing their memories. It was my biggest fear that today's drama-hungry society would only soak up the salacious, raunchy and dirty parts, meme them (a trend that I can guarantee with certainty that both actresses, Joan in particular, would have absolutely abhorred), and spit them back out, potentially ruining these actresses all over again for probably the last generation that will know of them. But this was so beautifully done in a truly wonderful tribute to both the long-gone days of Old Hollywood and the two iconic actresses that were the subject of this season. You would think that a show about a feud couldn't possibly be about a tribute, but it was. In addition to showing those ugly, infamous moments that have long outlived their creators, they also showed moments of vulnerability, of insecurity, those moments when these icons were just women dealing with society's rules and the reality of life at that time. I absolutely loved it.
This documentary ended up being nothing like what I expected and everything I needed to see and hear when I watched it. Look At Us Now, Mother! followed the story of a mother and daughter's rather rocky relationship, from her childhood to present-day and the various challenges that both tore them apart and brought them together. I promise, the way I just described it was deeper than it actually ended up being. Even though deeper issues were presented and confronted, it didn't feel as painful or uncomfortable as similar documentaries I've watched in this vein, and I enjoyed it. Per usual, the story went much deeper than initially figured, by both the daughter and the viewer, and it explained quite a bit about the mother's behavior and why she became the person she is. It takes a lot of strength to film such intimate moments over a long period of time, especially if you're trying to film something at least partially with or about another person. As a broad with her own complicated maternal relationship, it's always both a therapeutic and eye-opening experience to watch documentaries like this. We may not always like the things our parents do, we may not always be treated fairly or even properly by said parents, but at the end of the day, even though they are our parents they're still people too. I guess sometimes I make the mistake of assuming that because my mom is a parent, she should have the answers I need, should know all the answers to why she does the things she does. But she is who she is partially because of how she herself was raised, and I sometimes forget that. As much as my mom's parenting style could be considered progressive by old school standards, there are a lot of ways in which she has become my grandma, probably without realizing it. These relationships are often more complex than we assume, and if its at all possible to explore them (with the exception of the really severe situations, of course) then I think we should. It's especially important if we'd like to avoid making the same choices as parents or are actively trying to heal from those old wounds.
I'm only two episodes into this show so far and right now, I don't know how I feel about it. I believe it's an Australian show because of the accents, but the period crime drama is already being done flawlessly with Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (which is also Australian) and I'm a loyalist, so I wasn't really trying to get attached to any Australian detective who wasn't Phryne. lol Lucien Blake couldn't be any more different than Phryne Fisher, and the tone is much darker than MFMM. I'm not sure how I feel about that yet but I've been giving it a go.
I watched the Hot Girls Wanted documentary a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. I thought it was an honest look into how young girls are brought into the sex industry and how their pasts affect the decisions they make, both financially and emotionally. It's not something I can watch more than once but I liked it, even if I was disgusted at the deceitful efforts people used to get these easily influenced young women into their fold. This is a follow-up of sorts but rather than being a one-off documentary, this is a series about the current state of the porn industry and its various contributors. Each episode features a different person with some involvement in the industry, whether it be as a viewer, performer or businessperson bringing the two together. Much like The Doctor Blake Mysteries, I haven't gotten too deep into the series to say much about it, but I've started watching it.
This series only has 5 episodes available so I tried to drag it out, but I love it. I've always been really intrigued by conmen and the extensive lengths they go to to deceive others. I'm not smart or morally decrepit enough to be a con(wo)man, but I find the stories behind their schemes and the peeks into their psyches endlessly fascinating, mainly because I don't understand it and can't relate. When I can understand why people do what they do, it's not as interesting to me because I can piece together how the mental state is functioning in order to make certain decisions. It's something that's totally foreign or unheard of to me that usually gets me, and I think that's what draws me into the world of conmen. It's unheard of to me to even consider starting a business I knew from jump wasn't legit, but these people weren't fazed. They had fake businesses, exchanged non-existent services, played judge and jury over people's entire lives with absolutely no thought for their actions. The level of boldness and sense of invincibility always amazes me.
As I've said in other Monthly Favorites posts before, I love me a good crime show. I'm still jonesing for more seasons of Underworld and Mafia, so when Gangsters came up in my Recommended feed I had to check it out. This is another one that I'm on the first episode of, but my understanding is that each episode features a couple of different prominent gangsters across Britain. My primary exposure to non-American gangsters is via the Irish gangsters, so I'm pretty interested in the British underworld. There are only 5 or 6 episodes though, so its another show I'd like to drag out for as long as I can.
When I saw this, it came up as a similar option to Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories, and while I'm waiting on some word about another season of that show, I figured I could try this one out. So far, it's not quite what I expected, but I'm willing to keep watching. From what I understand, the show is about a former policeman? detective? who finds himself struggling after retirement to find a new outlet for his energy. I'm only on the first episode, so I don't know much more than that.
YouTube:
Awestruck/Snooki and JWOWW's individual channels
The Bella Twins
Mr. Kate's OMG We're Coming Over!
Seasons 1 | 2
ImAllexx
Secureteam10
For some reason, I watch more new things on YouTube than I do on either Netflix or tv, which brings me to my first item on the YT side of things for this month. I was not a Jersey Shore fan at all. My brothers and sister loved the show. Me, not so much. For someone who has emetophobia and doesn't drink, the concept of the show didn't appeal to me on any level. On a pop culture level I knew who both Snooki and J-Woww were, but I knew nothing about them other than that they lived in Jersey and liked to drink. So it was more than a small surprise that I liked their #MomsWithAttitude series so much on Awestruck's channel.
For someone who doesn't want kids, I've been watching a lot of mommy-related programming. If you're a wrestling or Total Divas fan, then you already know Brie Bella is pregnant with her first child (little Birdie Joe is due any day now!) and I recently found out about the Bella Twins' YouTube channel, where both Nikki and Brie post short videos about their day. From a viewer viewpoint, I was never a fan of the Bella Twins and I do not like either Total Divas or Total Bellas, which is why I'm so surprised to be enjoying their channel so much. Admittedly, I watch more of Brie's videos than Nikki's because I like watching Brie's pregnancy vlogs, but it's been really surprising to find that I actually like them as people after 10 years of not liking them as either wrestlers or reality tv personalities. I still won't watch Total Divas or Total Bellas, but these shorter, realer peeks into their lives have been fun to watch. If you ever want a good giggle, check out the weekly Bella Brains series on their channel.
Like I said, it's been a weird month. I went from not watching anything related to Snooki, J-Woww or either Bella Twin to watching their videos all the damn time and most of the time, one right after the other. I think I like them all as individuals and their lives away from reality tv, but once you start adding in networks and manufactured shit I guess I'm not here for it. lol
I've been dying...and I mean fingers tingling with restlessness dying...to create something, to make something with my hands. I've been building up projects for my DIY series for over a year now and I've wanted nothing more than to finally start putting out the series. I've always loved DIY and home construction series as well, which brings me to Mr. Kate's OMG We're Coming Over!, which is a home decor series by husband-wife duo Mr. Kate in which they redecorate the dwellings of fellow YouTubers. If you're a semi-oldie like me, then this show's a touch While You Were Out, with a hint of Trading Spaces and maybe a little Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Kate usually oversees the overall design and aesthetics of the room they're redecorating while Josh, the "Mr." in the duo, handles the woodworking, painting and technical side of the room. I've been hooked on this show because they have creative ideas, Kate really seems to understand a person's style and avoids making all of their redesigns look identical, and I like that small DIY tutorials are usually included at some point in the process.
I don't make a habit of watching many people in the commentary community anymore because I've noticed a lot of hypocrisy in that corner of the YouTube world, but I still watch a few of them from time to time when they pop up in my feed. One of those names has been I'mAllexx, and although I've seen my share of videos about his alleged hypocrisy on issues he discusses, I generally enjoy some of the content. Not because I agree with everything, more so because I like the way he approaches his videos. I probably wouldn't subscribe to the channel, but I don't mind popping in from time to time and seeing what he's talking about.
I think I mentioned my affinity for checking out the supernatural, which for me includes aliens. I keep coming across Secureteam10 in my feed and when talking about UFO discussions and the like, it's hard to find a creator who doesn't sound entirely bonkers. Tyler doesn't sound like a nut and for the most part, shows videos free of CGI or other manipulations and allows the audience to draw their own conclusions. If you're not into aliens, I fully expect your opinion on the subject and the videos on this channel to be nothing more than supernatural fluff. But if you have an open mind or fully believe, these really do add onto the belief that we aren't alone. There's a lot of convincing proof in photos, videos, interviews from those in science-related industries and even mini-investigations into abnormalities in the field.
Pick of the Month: Feud, obviously
Throwaway Pick: The Doctor Blake Mysteries
