As an indie-wrestling fan, I’ve watched a bunch of El Generico matches at Ring of Honor and Pro Wrestling Guerilla events. As many of you know, I was a big mark for Claudio Castagnoli’s indie work. With those factors in mind, it was cool watching Claudio and Generico duke it out as Antonio Cesaro and Sami Zayn on the last episode of NXT (highlight clip below). While Claudio has shown that he can be a WWE star, I’m not quite sure about Generico’s future. Part of it is that I’m used to seeing him wrestle in a mask as The Generic Luchador and it’s just weird seeing him without it. While he has strong in-ring skills and good charisma, I’m not sure if his talents mesh with WWE creative. Like Claudio, CM Punk, and Bryan Danielson, I’ll be rooting for him.
Check out the highlights of Antonio Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn below and let me know what you think of the new El Generico. Can you see him as a full fledged WWE Superstar?
Here’s a fun sketch from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon that blends Game of Thrones with the “late shift” hosting politics. As many of you know, Fallon is taking over The Tonight Show from Jay Leno in 2014. While I’m excited for the change and hopeful that Fallon’s crew continues to nerd it up (love the tech and gaming content), there are some that aren’t thrilled with the latest late shift. Some are Conan O’Brien fans that are still angry over the last hosting debacle with Jay Leno. Some are Seth Meyers fans that want him manning The Tonight Show desk. This sketch touches on those issues…and also brilliantly casts The Roots as a pastiche of the Night’s Watch. Check it out and let me know what you think (please!).
[Seinfeld Mode] Did you ever notice that some comic book, movie, and television bad guys have names that make it completely obvious that they’re bad guys? [/Seinfeld Mode] What’s up with that? Are these guys and gals predestined to be evildoers? Or did they legally change their names while sufferings delusions of grandeur (see Hellwig, Jim). Star Wars is especially guilty of this, particularly The Clone Wars cartoons. Look at some of the villains that threatened the universe a long time ago in a galaxy far far away: General Whorm Loathsom, Savage Opress, Moralo Eval, Cad Bane, etc. There might as well be a Star Wars baddie name Evel McEvelson.
One of my favorite villains with a villainous name is…more
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the lead-up to the French Open, the end of the frauds known as the NY Knicks, or Lady Gaga in Machete Kills, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
[Seinfeld Mode] Did you ever notice that some comic book, movie, and television bad guys have names that make it completely obvious that they’re bad guys? [/Seinfeld Mode] What’s up with that? Are these guys and gals predestined to be evildoers? Or did they legally change their names while sufferings delusions of grandeur (see Hellwig, Jim). Star Wars is especially guilty of this, particularly The Clone Wars cartoons. Look at some of the villains that threatened the universe a long time ago in a galaxy far far away: General Whorm Loathsom, Savage Opress, Moralo Eval, Cad Bane, etc. There might as well be a Star Wars baddie name Evel McEvelson.
One of my favorite villains with a villainous name is Thaal Sinestro. Once the greatest Green Lantern in the universe, Sinestro betrayed the Green Lantern Corps, fought them as a rebel, and eventually formed the menacing Sinestro Corps. Did the Guardians of the Universe not see this one coming? Dude’s name is Sinestro! The word “sinister” is part of his frickin’ name. It would be one thing if Connie Congeniality betrayed the Guardians and the Corps, but the guy with sinister in his name? Of course he was going to go turncoat.
Yes, I realize that some of these guys have evil names in order to help younger readers and viewers figure out that they’re evil. But what about the people they fight, backstab, etc.? Shouldn’t they know better? In the immortal words of Chaz Michael Michaels, it’s “mind bottling.”
Anyway, who are some of you favorite villains with villainous names? Kindly leave your choices in the comments section!
TNA Wrestling’s Austin Aries has been fined for an on-air incident with announcer Christy Hemme. On the last episode of Impact Wrestling, Hemme announced the wrong tag-team while Aries and partner Bobby Roode were making their way to the ring. A-Double played up his heel persona by getting in Hemme’s face, telling her to announce the correct team, and eventually putting his crotch in her face. TNA president Dixie Carter tweeted that the company “has ZERO tolerance for inappropriate behavior.” According to TMZ, Aries has been…more
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the dreaded triumvirate of physical pain, flu, and stomach problems, Koreatown’s new vape shop, or Google I/O happenings, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
TNA Wrestling’s Austin Aries has been fined for an on-air incident with announcer Christy Hemme. On the last episode of Impact Wrestling, Hemme announced the wrong tag-team while Aries and partner Bobby Roode were making their way to the ring. A-Double played up his heel persona by getting in Hemme’s face, telling her to announce the correct team, and putting his crotch in her face. TNA president Dixie Carter tweeted that the company “has ZERO tolerance for inappropriate behavior.” According to TMZ, Aries has been slapped with a “severe fine.”
Some of the Internet reactions have been harsh. Some have accused Aries of bullying and sexual harassment. That seems ridiculous to me. Aries is a heel — a pro-wrestler that’s actslike a villain. He’s playing a part. This is, after all, a character that refers to himself as, “The greatest man that has ever lived.” Of course he’s going to get annoyed and act like a dick when the announcer botches his entrance. Hemme’s mistake was insulting, so Austin Aries — the character — insulted her in retribution.
A few people have compared the situation to Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan) getting fired from the WWE for choking announcer Justin Roberts with a necktie. Certainly there are similarities, but ultimately both punishments were stupid. That said, I understand WWE’s stance more than I do TNA’s. WWE has been upfront about making its programming “PG.” Danielson crossed a (vague) line and was unemployed for a short time before being rehired by WWE. As far as I know, TNA doesn’t have the self-imposed restrictions that the WWE has.
While Aries’ actions were improved, a crotch to the face isn’t the worse thing wrestling fans have seen. Triple H once simulated necrophilia. Kane covered Jim Ross in gasoline and set him on fire. Paul Bearer was buried alive. From that standpoint, I don’t see what the big deal is here. Some are claiming that Hemme was put in an uncomfortable situation. I would completely agree with that…if Aries and Hemme weren’t characters that were part of a show. While I don’t condone men shoving their crotches in women’s faces, the act made sense for the Austin Aries persona. They’re actors on a stage, not accountants in an office.
Obviously I’m biased. Some of you are aware that I know and like Dan Solwold, the gentleman that portrays Austin Aries. As a friend, I’m supposed to stand by him when he’s wrong. The thing is, I really don’t think he did anything wrong. Of course, I’d love to hear your take on the matter. Do you think that Austin Aries crossed a line? Was the alleged “severe fine” by TNA appropriate? Or do you agree with me and think that it’s ridiculous that an actor is being punished for playing his part? Do you think this is all an elaborate angle that will help TNA, Aries, and Hemme get some mainstream press? Am I part of the angle? Shout it out in the comments section (please), but don’t put your crotch in my face or I will fine you.
Former boxing heavyweight champion “Iron” Mike Tyson is headed to Adult Swim in Mike Tyson Mysteries. Armed with a magical tattoo and a pigeon, Tyson will be featured in weekly 15-minute episodes later this year. Here’s the official description from the press release:
Mike Tyson Mysteries — In the new animated comedy series Mike Tyson Mysteries, Mike Tyson is taking the fight from the boxing ring to the streets…by solving mysteries! Armed with a magical tattoo on his face and a trusty associate by his side — a talking pigeon — if you have a problem that needs solving, Iron Mike is in your corner. The series incorporates live-action appearances featuring Mighty Mike himself, and the gloves come off as the former heavyweight champ and his fowl-mouthed partner gear up for weekly adventures as they put unsolved mysteries — like how to defeat a super computer at chess or why a famous author/werewolf can’t finish his novel — down for the count. Animated quarter-hour from Warner Bros Animation.
This show sounds like all kinds of awesome. It places one of the biggest sports icons of the ’80s and ’90s in an animated adventure that pays homage to his trademark tattoo, love of pigeons, and Batman-like detective skills. While I’ve had some fun debates with RPadholics over Tyson’s place in boxing history, there’s no denying that he’s one of the most fascinating and interesting athletes the world has seen in the last 30 years. Mike Tyson Mysteries adds to his cult of personality and amazing reinvention.
Tyson started out as a fierce young heavyweight, went onto become a controversial boxer known for biting off ear pieces and making threats to eat opponents’ babies, and later cracked people up in The Hangover movies. And here he is in 2013, as a lovable mystery-solving cartoon character with a pigeon sidekick. Remarkable.
Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has introduced the Television Consumer Freedom Act of 2013, which calls for “a la carte” cable television and the elimination of sports blackouts. The aim is to give consumers more control — and hopefully lower total prices — over their cable bills by allowing them to buy the channels they want and ignore the ones they don’t.
One of the reasons cable and satellite television prices are so high is that companies bundle their offerings, often forcing consumers to pay for several channels they don’t want in order to get the ones that they desire. For example, there are many ESPN fans that don’t give a rats ass about Disney or AMC channels. Since Disney owns the whole lot, it strong arms cable and satellite providers into carrying all of them, passing the entire cost to consumers. Cable news channels are another example. While I enjoy and recommend watching both Fox News and MSNBC in order to hear what both sides are saying, each network has viewers that would never watch the other. Yet, the majority of those viewers are paying for both networks.
Here’s a clip from Senator McCain’s press release on the Television Consumer Freedom Act of 2013:
Mr. President, today I am introducing the Television Consumer Freedom Act of 2013. This legislation has three principal objectives: (1) encourage the wholesale and retail “unbundling” of programming by distributors and programmers; (2) establish consequences if broadcasters choose to “downgrade” their over-the-air service; and (3) eliminate the sports blackout rule for events held in publicly-financed stadiums.
For over 15 years I have supported giving consumers the ability to buy cable channels individually, also known as “a la carte” — to provide consumers more control over viewing options in their home and, as a result, their monthly cable bill.
Excusing that period of time when he totally caved to the Tea Party, I’m generally a fan of Senator McCain. As a boxing fan, I love his work on the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act. I’m totally digging what he’s doing with the Television Consumer Freedom Act of 2013. While I’m cynical enough to believe that cable and satellite lobbyists will squash the act, at least McCain is trying to do something about these companies (like crap bag Time Warner Cable) and bringing attention to the issue.
I’d love to hear what you think about the Television Consumer Freedom Act of 2013. Do you think it will accomplish anything? Fire away in the comments section (please)!
On Tuesday, my journalist friend Paul, a Reverb producer, and I were having one of those “What If…?” (Marvel TM) conversations. We were imagining a world where television was metered. Instead of being able to watch what you want, when you want, and for however long you want, we were dreaming of television that was billed like a utility. The charges would be hourly, with higher fees for peak times. Let’s play this game on RPad.TV…more
On Tuesday, my journalist friend Paul, a Reverb producer, and I were having one of those “What If…?” (Marvel TM) conversations. We were imagining a world where television was metered. Instead of being able to watch what you want, when you want, and for however long you want, we were dreaming of television that was billed like a utility. The charges would be hourly, with higher fees for peak times. Let’s play this game on RPad.TV!
Obviously the value of television commercials would drastically change or cease to exist, but nobody really cares about that. For the most part, the completely impossible metered-television dream would improve lives. While some people would spend more time on other forms of frivolity, others would spend time doing more productive things. Adults would spend more time with their families, children would spend time playing outside, and nerds (like me) would…read more comics, play more games, etc. Ha!
How do you think metered television would change the world and your world, specifically? Suspend your disbelief and leave a comment on this “What If…?” below (please!).
Google has unveiled 53 YouTube paid channels. These premium channels offer commercial-free content for a fee. Prices start at $0.99 per month and currently top out at $9.99 per month. Discounts are available for annual subscriptions. The paid channels come with a free 14-day trial to help you decide if it’s worth paying for. My question for you today is this: Would you pay for YouTube premium content? Kindly vote in today’s poll and explain your answer in the comments section! Continue reading “Today’s Poll: Would You Pay For YouTube Premium Channels?”
In the decades that you’ve been alive, I’m sure you’ve watched thousands of hours of television. Out of all the shows you’ve enjoyed, what’s your all-time favorite? I’d love to hear about it, since it reveals something about you and your past. There’s no judging here. If RPaholic bigblak loves Cop Rock then he loves Cop Rock.
It took me a while to pare down my list. As with any form of entertainment, it’s easy to focus on newer things, while old ones often don’t get the credit that they deserve. In the end, the choice was clear…more
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the Chicago Bulls shocking the Miami Heat, Manny Pacquiao fighting in Macau, or Anne Hathaway going blonde, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
In the decades that you’ve been alive, I’m sure you’ve watched thousands of hours of television. Out of all the shows you’ve enjoyed, what’s your all-time favorite? I’d love to hear about it, since it reveals something about you and your past. There’s no judging here. If RPaholic bigblak loves Cop Rock then he loves Cop Rock.
It took me a while to pare down my list. As with any form of entertainment, it’s easy to focus on newer things, while old ones often don’t get the credit that they deserve. Game of Thrones and The Newsroom have been my favorites in recent years. Monday Night Raw has been amazing, but it has also been mediocre or worse. As a writer, I love the process that goes into Saturday Night Live. Like Raw, the quality of SNL depends on the cast, writers, and both teams having a good week. In the end, the choice was clear: Friends.
When the show started, I was still in college. The characters in Friends were in their early ’20s — that magical age where you’re away from your family, but haven’t started one of your own yet. It’s a time when life is full of exciting possibilities. The writing (initially, anyway) was funny and quirky. Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow were approaching the peaks of their hotness. The show was set in New York, which of course is the most fantastic city in the world. The show just clicked for me.
Thinking about Friends and how Nightwing is my favorite superhero made me (re)realize how much I love that stage of life. You’re a fully formed adult, but still malleable. Your identity is established, but you can still change the person you’ll become. To have so much potential and uncertainty at the same time is a truly beautiful thing.
Now it’s your turn! Kindly list your favorite TV show of all time and explain your choice in the comments section.
Yahoo! has announced a ton of streaming video initiatives, including six original shows. Direct-to-streaming programs seem like “the next big thing” with Amazon and Netflix paving the way for TV-less television. For fans of traditional shows, Yahoo! also announced partnerships with Saturday Night Live and WWE. The company will be the “exclusive home” of SNL archives. As for WWE programming, here’s some of what you’ll be able to enjoy starting this summer:
Monday Night Raw pre-show: A 30-minute pre-show to each new Monday Night Raw will be exclusive to Yahoo!.
Original programming: Two weekly series of 50 episodes per year will be produced exclusively for distribution on Yahoo!.
Premium archive: Yahoo! will have exclusive access to WWE archives of historical full matches, shows, highlights and other events.
Additional live events: Yahoo! will air live, pre-show content for every pay-per-view event.
Clips from current TV programming: Clips from all WWE television programs will now be available on Yahoo!.
All of this streaming goodness has me considering cutting the cord to cable (specifically, my crap-bag provider Time Warner Cable). I would certainly miss boxing and pro-wrestling PPVs, but can find other ways to enjoy those shows. I love the shift to direct-to-streaming content. It shakes up the market and is a potential change agent. As for the WWE videos that will be on Yahoo!, I’m particularly psyched for the “premium archive” feature. The WWE has a ton of classic matches in its library, including videos from most of its competitors from wrestling’s “territory” days. There are so many ’80s and ’90s matches that I’d love to see!
How about you guys and dolls? What do you think of Yahoo!’s streaming-video efforts?
