Republicans Legalize Weed, Yellowstone Returns, Staff Doesn't Care About Hollywood Awards, Filming Black Panther 2 Nearly Killed Star, Top University Fawns Over Village Idiot, (The Five for 11/11/22)
Hey, welcome to The Five.
It’s a very full issue today, so let’s dive into Culture & Commentary.
[one]
Missouri, a pretty deep red state, just elected Eric Schmitt, to the Senate in an absolute blowout. Schmitt is a very anti-lockdown, pro-gun, pro-business candidate.
Missouri also legalized adult use, recreational legalized marijuana on the same ballot.
Statistically, that means Republicans legalized weed. Based on what happened here, it's inevitable that the rest of the country legalizes Cannabis within the next 5-10 years, with perhaps a couple of holdouts in the Southeast (South Carolina comes to mind).
I've sold weed, but never used. (No, that's not what I told the judge...I worked in Medical Cannabis marketing). Personally, I voted yes, because policing weed is a waste of law enforcement and court resources.
But, I have a sober warning around this issue.
A minority of heavy teen smokers will develop schizophrenia.
Based on the research, I wish nobody would smoke until they were 25, to avoid the possibility of developing psychosis.
Teen drinking causes a lot of tragedy, mainly death due to drunk driving accidents.
But teenagers who engage in underage alcohol consumption are not permanent damage to themselves. Weed, in a small number of heavy teen users, will cause irreversible brain damage.
I don’t think marijuana prohibition is sustainable, but there’s a difference in voting for something to be legal, and encouraging it’s use.
Regardless of your stance on the issue, we all need to do what we can to keep this stuff out of the hands of teenagers.
[two]
One of the dumbest people ever, Bhad Bhabie, spoke at the most prestigious institution of higher learning in the world this week.
The rapper and reality television star rose to fame after she appeared on an episode of Dr. Phil called I Want to Give Up My Car-Stealing, Knife-Wielding, Twerking 13-Year-Old Daughter Who Tried to Frame Me for a Crime!
She went viral with the phrase, 'Cash me outside', and more recently Ms Bregoli, with the help of American artists Kodak Black and Lil Yachty, embarked on a music career under the stage name Bhad Bhabie.
In April last year, she created an OnlyFans account and in just her first six hours on the X-rated subscription social media site she netted $1 million, going on to make $50 million in her first year.
Among those who have been speakers at the prestigious institution in the past include former presidents such as Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton; dignitaries such as Queen Elizabeth II, Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama; historical figures such as Malcolm X and Albert Einstein; and entertainment icons such as Billy Joel and Sir Elton John.
So, now…
…being white trash on low-rent daytime talk TV
…and rapping REALLY poorly
…and being naked on the internet…
…is apparently equal to bringing down the Berlin Wall, caring for orphans in India and the theory of relatively.
Stupid celebrities are always going to cash in on outrageous behavior for a quick buck. Whatever.
For the most part, I’m happy to ignore it.
However, “prestigious” higher ed institutions celebrating this crap, and acting like there’s a “deeper meaning” here than just somebody with a probable sub-80 IQ getting really lucky at making money on the internet isn’t the best look.
Nobody wins when we celebrate garbage by pretending it’s quality culture.
[three]
Two major cultural forces were shut out of awards shows this week…and they don’t care.
Yellowstone returns for season 5 on Sunday night, the biggest hit show since Game of Thrones absolutely dominated the cultural landscape. Unlike HBO’s fantasy show, however, the Kevin Costner-led modern Western doesn’t get much in the way of award show hardware.
The cast of Yellowstone essentially told Hollywood to shove off.
Wes Bentley, who plays Jamie Dutton, told the Daily Mail, “I personally don’t think awards validate anything. It’s an honor, as they say, but as far as it saying whether we are doing something good or not, that’s not what that is.
“Many, many shows don’t get that recognition that deserve it, and many do get it that don’t deserve it,” he went on. “It’s just the matter of opinion of each particular academy. I know we are a success because the people are watching it.”
Gil Birmingham, who plays tribal chairman Thomas Rainwater, told the Daily Mail, “Hollywood is a fickle beast. I think that it’s more important that we have captured the hearts and minds of the audience and our fans.”
Similarly, Zach Bryan, who built what may be the biggest following in country music without the help of the “Nashville Machine” was completely cut out of the Country Music Awards this weekend, to which the Oklahoma born singer-songwriter had a blunt response:
Awards shows are little more than out-of-touch celebs clapping for each other. The TV ratings for all of them have been fading for years because the fans figured out the game…and now some of the most popular cultural creators are also turning their backs on the awards circuit.
Good.
Yellowstone returns Sunday night! If you need a refresher on the last four seasons, check this.
Zach has two new songs out today.
[four]
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens in theaters this weekend.
The big budget action/comic book film…nearly killed star Letita Wright.
The accident occurred on the “Wakanda Forever” set in Boston. Wright was shooting a chase sequence that placed her on a “biscuit rig,” which allowed the camera to shoot her riding a motorcycle in a real environment. According to the film’s producer Nate Moore, the rig “clipped a median and sheared the bike off, and it tumbled” with Wright on it.
“I’m still processing it,” Wright told Variety about the accident. “I’m still working through it in therapy. It was really traumatic.”
[five]
Once again, the John Wick franchise continues to suprise and delight with minimal (but unforgettable) dialogue, stellar settings and mind-bending action.
There are a lot of shoot-em-up movies (but none do them as well as Reeves), but it’s the script and lore that really make this series stand out.From the trailer, as John Wick prays in church.
”Do you think your dead wife can hear you.”
”No”
”Then why try.”
”Maybe I’m wrong.”
There’s more gravitas in those 15 seconds than in most copy/paste action movies.
March 23rd. Can’t wait.
Woah! Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery looks like a must-watch. Daniel Craig (Casino Royale, Defiance), Edward Norton (The Italian Job, Fight Club), Kate Hudson (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Almost Famous), Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy, Army of the Dead), Katherine Hahn (WandaVision, Parks & Rec) and R&B singer Janelle Monae (Hidden Figures, Moonlight) lead the cast (but there are even more stars in this one).
Catch it on Netflix 12/23.
The producers of The Crown are turning their storytelling lens to a small town in Canada with Three Pines, a murder-mystery series based on novels I’d never heard of, but certainly feels Agatha-Christie-esque. Alfred Molina (Boogie Nights, Spiderman: No Way Home) stars.
I’m intrigued.
I’m REALLY not much of a Christmas movie person…but a streaming TV series Sequel to Tim Allen’s 1990’s classic The Santa Claus.
First two episodes stream 11/16.
New Gerard Butler (300, Olympus Has Fallen) alert!
Is this both:
A) Blatantly ripping off the 1990’s film Con-Air?
and
B) Pretty much the same plot as everything else Butler has done in the last decade?
Yes and yes.
And I don’t care.
In theaters 01/27—aka when Hollywood puts out their “not that great” products.
Again, I don’t care. Pumped.
Until the next one,
-sth