What Wednesday #18
Today I hate watch the debate, love watch Bob’s Burgers, and travel back to Hyrule in glorious 3D.
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: The Second Presidential Debate (6th Circle of Hell)
Kill me now.
What I’m Much Happier Watching: Bob’s Burgers (FOX)
I grew up watching The Simpsons. Well, officially I didn’t watch it, as it was considered verboten by my mother. But when mom wasn’t around, dad couldn’t resist a good d’oh, so we’d watch it together, and I loved it as much as my mom hated it. I look forward to having “don’t tell your mother” moments with my own soon-to-be-here kid. I‘m not sure what the show would be, though. Maybe Game of Thrones?
(Side note: I’m going through the Simpsons again now (first 6 seasons down, 22 more to go), and it’s incredible to think anybody was ever offended by it. Plenty of parents today would love for the worst thing their kids to be doing to be skateboarding and saying “eat my shorts.”)
With Futurama gone for good (probably), Bob’s Burgers is the closest thing to the Simpsons that’s currently on TV (you know, other than the actual Simpsons, which is a shell of its former self…like me after watching that debate *zing!*). Like the Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers has a zany family getting into hijinks with their eccentric friends. Like Homer, Bob has a lower middle class job. He owns and opperates a small burger place that his family helps him out with, usually to his detriment. And also like the Simpsons, while the family is its strong core, the crazy secondary characters take it to another level, like the roller skating guy in a speedo and the eye patch wearing landlord voiced perfectly by Kevin Kline. But unlike the Simpsons, it mostly stays grounded in reality, without completely ridiculous plots, like going to space or befriending a super villain.
All of the characters are incredibly weird and awkward, sometimes to the point of turning people away from the show. But for those that stick around, there’s so much to love: impressive musical numbers, relentless puns, and amazing voice acting, including cartoon Jesus himself, H. Jon Benjamin, who also stars in the hilariously profane James Bond parody, Archer. When a guy can play a middle aged fast food cook and a suave secret agent without changing his voice, you know he’s pretty stellar.
If you haven’t seen the show and aren’t sure if you’d like it, I’ll make it easy for you. Watch the clip below. If you think it’s hilarious, you’ll love the show. If you don’t, you’re a bad person and you should feel bad.
What I’m Playing: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (Nintendo 3DS)
One of the greatest video games of all time is portable? And in 3D? Thirteen year old me would think that’s evidence we’re living at the peak of civilization. Thirteen year old me was also an idiot, but he’s right about this. One of the greatest games of all time, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, has an amazingly beautiful remake on the Nintendo 3DS (their modern GameBoy) in 3D (no glasses needed!) and it indeed makes the case for peak civilization. It’s probably all downhill from here, but oh what a ride it’s been!
If you’ve never played a Zelda game, that’s because you’re either over the age of 40, under the age of 2, or incapable of experiencing joy. It’s been a total blast to play through again and I can’t get over how well it continues to hold up. If for some reason you have a Nintendo 3DS (and I seriously, seriously doubt anyone reading this blog does), you have to pick this gem up, if only to make thirteen year old me insanely jealous. The past is for suckers with ugly CRT TV’s!
Bonus: I’ve also got this sweet Zelda encyclopedia my brother — gifter of all things good and nerdy — gave me for Christmas. It’s detailed, beautiful, and, like many of the games it chronicles, it harkens back to a time where words were printed on paper and bound together in what Wikipedia calls a “book.” How quaint!
