What Wednesday #14
This week I watch the best kids show of all time and listen to the most boring music genre, Christian.
What Wednesday is where I talk about what I’m watching, reading, playing, etc, because for some reason I think you’ll find that interesting. If you have recommendations, I’d love to hear them :)
What I’m Watching: Avatar: The Last Airbender (Amazon Prime Video)
Avatar is not the first kids show I’ve watched as an adult, but it’s probably the best. I’ve barreled through almost all of its 3 seasons and I can see why it’s so beloved: gorgeously animated, surprisingly funny, with an interesting world and a well plotted story. Unlike most kids’ shows, the villians are well developed, have motivations, and even aren’t all bad. All of the characters are really well developed, actually. Also, unlike most kids shows, this one doesn’t have to rely on nostalgia to cover its flaws: it works for definitely-not-kids like myself who didn’t watch it the first go around. Plus, one of the main villians is voiced by Rufio!
Just yesterday there was a hugely popular Reddit thread about how awesome it is. I was so close to being ahead of the curve. As close to being ahead of the curve on a 10 year old show, at least. Well worth a watch if you grew up with Dragon Ball Z.
The live action movie is famously hot garbage, though, so you can’t win ’em all…
What I’m Also Watching: Sisters
Tina Fey. Amy Poehler. For my money, they’re the best female comedians out there, and they’re two of my favorite comedians of any gender. Sisters has both of them, making for a truly wonderful 1–2 punch. It’s much like their last movie together, Baby Mama (one of my wife’s favorite movies), but this time their characters are flipped: Poehler is the straight laced one, while Fey brings the crazy, much like she does in the most recent season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Sisters is their take on Judd Apatow’s raunchy bro comedy (sis comedy?), much like Bridesmaids before it. For the most part, they succeed, with some solid gross out humor, plenty of great cameos (including recent sis comedy mainstay, John Cena), and a suitably fun, low stakes plot. Even with an incredibly cheesy ending that feels like it’s from a different movie, it’s still easily worth a rental.
What I’m Hearing: Bebo Norman
I hate “Christian” music. Or at least the bland, feel good, vaguely spiritual songs that pose as Christian. (This hilarious video nails many of the genre’s major problems.) Christian music is so predictable I can be in the other room when Katie puts on a Christian song and still tell it’s Christian, even muffled through the wall. They all give off the same boring vibe or something.
Apple Music recently suggested a Bebo Norman playlist, and though I haven’t really listened to Christian music since I graduated college, aside from the occasional NEEDTOBREATHE album, I figured what the H. E. Double Hockey Sticks and give him a shot. Turns out, the original Beebs is still an enjoyable listen. He still ticks plenty of the cliché boxes, but there’s a genuineness in his song writing that’s missing in the largely cynical world of commercial Christian music. Plus, the man can write a melody. Sadly, he retired from music a few years back, but since Christian music changes so slowly, his old stuff will still sound like new stuff for many years to come.
