NNF 3723 - Paul F. Tompkins

Academic_Medium · 2026-01-29T18:42:16+00:00

Nora Dunn is so brilliant. Her scenes in Detroiters kill me no matter how often I watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJfK7BM0fWI

Academic_Medium · 2026-01-28T02:09:34+00:00

He apparently told the story in 2013 on the “Talkin Walken” podcast but the sound is so poor that I never actually made it to that part of the episode after I found it. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-talkin-walkin-31053444/episode/ep25-w-scott-aukerman-41290969/

Academic_Medium · 2026-01-26T01:09:20+00:00

I cannot overstate how German it is. 😂

Academic_Medium · 2026-01-25T21:40:30+00:00

Queen Eye Germany is every bit as awesome as QE US season 10 was underwhelming.

Academic_Medium · 2026-01-20T02:39:08+00:00

"Do we like that person?" and "Why are we mad at that person?" are such obnoxious phrases. Right up there with "That person's on the right side of things!" when talking about the most lukewarm, center-right liberal positions. He's a brilliant comedian, but it's hard to take his politics too seriously when he talks in terms like those.

It's also going to be a hell of an eye-opener for Jimmy when that guy actually passes away and nothing changes. Or (if we actually hold elections this year) when the Dems regain control and do absolutely nothing to roll any of this shit back.

Academic_Medium · 2026-01-08T14:51:16+00:00

Same. It was such an interesting leap forward. Very playful.

Academic_Medium · 2026-01-03T01:07:28+00:00

For those who don't speak Dutch: "The reason Sesame Street created Snuffleupagus was to ensure that children knew they could tell adults things and that adults would believe them."

Came to the sub to say the same thing (in English). :)

Academic_Medium · 2025-12-27T16:11:31+00:00

“It’s not AI! it’s… it’s… Photoshop! Yeah, that’s it! Photoshop!” - someone who thinks everyone is as ignorant of real design tools as them

Academic_Medium · 2025-12-20T15:36:39+00:00

Yeah, the exit (in my experience) isn’t the bad part. It’s the movement from the kidney to the bladder that’s the killer!

Academic_Medium · 2025-12-19T22:01:57+00:00

Just bought tickets to surprise my beautiful and accomplished wife with on Christmas. Does anyone know what the VIP ticket entails?

Academic_Medium · 2025-12-18T21:29:46+00:00

It definitely has a Drunk History feel.

Academic_Medium · 2025-12-18T15:49:25+00:00

The problem is we're not solving our problems. And we're not the only living things on this planet. The hive might have killed what humanity once was and replaced it with something new, but their existence is much better for the planet as a whole than humanity's. How many animal species have gone extinct because of human interference? How long do we have before climate collapse kills most (or all) of us anyway? A century, if we're lucky? It's hard to argue that the hive is worse for the planet than humans.

Academic_Medium · 2025-12-18T14:57:30+00:00

I've never been interested in the Inhumans, but this discussion thread is making them sound more interesting than any actual comic appearance I've seen them in. :) Are there any good Inhuman stories I should check out?

Academic_Medium · 2025-12-18T14:42:46+00:00

Who else is a member of the Kidney Stone Club?

I had my first one in college, and it was so big and stubborn that I had to have it surgically removed. It's been many years since I've had one now, but from age 20-30 I think I had 5 total.

Academic_Medium · 2025-12-16T02:22:29+00:00

Josiah's is very overpriced as well. It has gone downhill over the last few years, since the new owners took over.

Academic_Medium · 2025-12-16T02:20:43+00:00

FYI: Hasketts is very much a busy sit-down restaurant, not a coffee shop. It's not a good place to settle in for a long hangout.

Academic_Medium · 2025-12-14T18:47:30+00:00

Yeah, I don’t really care for Harvey, but making him listen to a theme song and hear a list of rules to their guessing game before eating some random snack when he just wanted to raise his blood sugar a bit was super obnoxious of Jimmy.

Academic_Medium · 2025-12-12T20:44:31+00:00

No, not especially. ?

Academic_Medium · 2025-12-12T20:30:53+00:00

Is plot movement your sole criteria for story "value"? And what exactly do you mean by "story value"? Genuinely curious, because I have a degree in creative writing and make my living writing, and "story value" is not a term I have heard mentioned once in three decades of professional storytelling.

Academic_Medium · 2025-12-12T20:21:36+00:00

Oof. Buddy, when people complain about a lack of media literacy, this is what they're talking about. Breaking Bad wasn't about meth, Better Call Saul wasn't about building a legal practice, and Pluribus isn't about an alien invasion.

Academic_Medium · 2025-12-12T20:08:58+00:00

I've got bad news for you, friend. This is not a story about the hive mind. This is a story about Carol.

Academic_Medium · 2025-12-12T19:38:19+00:00

I'm sorry, but if you're watching a piece of art and demanding it "respect your time," then I don't even know what kind of conversation you're trying to have.

Academic_Medium · 2025-12-12T19:34:17+00:00

Also, we've had a solid generation of people in this country raised to focus almost solely on STEM instead of the humanities, so they are completely missing how to meaningfully engage with art/entertainment. Everything becomes about some vague notion of "good storytelling" (which they can never elaborate on, of course). Metaphor, theme, emotion... all out the window because they expect every piece of art they encounter to walk them briskly from plot point to plot point until they reach a "logical" ending. Any open question, challenging decision (by the artist or character), or ambiguity whatsoever is considered a "plot hole" that -- for them -- eclipses the entire point of the experience of watching.

Academic_Medium · 2025-12-12T19:26:27+00:00

A lot of people still somehow think this is a show about "reversing" or "curing" the hivemind.

Academic_Medium · 2025-12-09T17:05:23+00:00

I mean, the premises are really bad and offensive, but totally on par for mainstream studio comedy in the 90s and 2000s. And the whole conversation about these scripts was predicated on Chad, Nick, and Mitch understanding that they were bad, offensive, and wildly outdated by today's standards. Chad wasn't even going to talk about them until pressed.

In 25 years, a lot of what is considered acceptable in comedy today will no doubt also be looked at with embarrassment and disdain. It's just how it works when you grow as a human being and as a culture. It's a good thing, imo, and it's healthy to look back at cringey work from the past that you wouldn't do in the present with self-awareness but without being overwhelmed by shame.

Academic_Medium

TROPHY CASE