July Recommendations and August Previews!
More on the strikes. TV, movies, podcast and poetry to enjoy and things to look forward to in August.
Actors and Writers Strike
For a short and easy to understand overview of the SAG/AFTRA and WGA strikes that have shut down TV and movies and more, check out Pop Culture Happy Hour’s primer on the strikes and what it stems from (spoiler alert, corporate greed and over-reach) and what to expect.
July Recommendations
TV: Survival of The Thickest (Netflix): Michelle Buteau is a treasure. A comic, podcast host and actress. Her facial expressions are the key to her comic timing and reactions! I loved her as Ali Wong’s best friend and colleague in Always Be My Maybe and she has her own show now! It’s a very common tv show foundation - a suddenly single woman trying to survive NYC with her village, but then breaks a lot of expectations I had, who was going to get together with whom, when people were going to overreact or not. It surprised me all while keeping the best of the comedy and romcom tropes. The cast of friends, quirky roommates and romantic partners are funny and attractive, and I cannot wait for 2nd season. I was sad when it was over and it was so easy to watch and enjoy.
TV: The Bear (Hulu): Season 1 was in my 2022 recommendations and season 2 was actually better IMO. A true ensemble now, and excellent bottle episodes with favorites. Still don’t get the Jeremy Allen White thirst but I’m more on team Carmy now in the show. And the guest stars in season 2, could have been stunt casting, but they fit perfectly.
Movie: Joy Ride (in Theaters): As a rule, I generally don’t love raunchy friend comedies on some sort journey, probably because for years the jokes were lazy, reductive and often misogynist, and in recent years, the attempts to do raunchy girl comedies didn’t really do it for me. (but I did love Girls Trip). If you like these kind of movies, then you should like this, unless you’re sexist and anti-Asian! Joy Ride was fun — I laughed enough that that I missed other jokes. I’ve seen so many of the lead and supporting cast in many other shows and movies and hope they all continue to get work. It was raunchy and silly and smart and had levels, and very gorgeous very Asian cast - there was even some Hindi (IYKYK). I’m still trying to take in all the words to their customized Asian version of WAP.
Poetry: So to Speak by Terrance Hayes: I first found Terrance Hayes and his poetry through his collection American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin, and his new collection So To Speak continues both his sonnet tradition and other types of poetry. Two of my favorite sonnets from So to Speak are below!
Podcast: Who Shat on the Floor of My Wedding (Apple, Spotify): I found out about this podcast because of a viral tweet. This is an absurd and ridiculous take on true crime but I loved listening to it and laughed a lot, out loud. They did this podcast and “investigation” in 2020 so I think it was a Pandemic time pass! Because it’s absurd, I’m not sure anyone will be satisfied with the ending, but the two brides, and their “investigator” are pretty damn funny - and the UK, Australian, New Zealand, Dutch, American accents, friendships and approach to humor alone is worth it + all the 💩💩💩 jokes if you are into that thing!
Things to Look Forward to in August
August 2nd: Reservation Dogs (Hulu): In my first Sujata Said, this was one of my favorite shows of 2022, and season 1 was one of my favorites in 2021. This is the third and final season of a show, created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi that continues being excellent, funny, moving, and real, with performances and performers who should have longer careers than they have had and for the younger performances, I hope they have long careers ahead of them. I will miss this show and the characters, and especially the four leads when the show ends.
August 8th: Only Murders in the Building (Hulu): The cross generational cast of Steve Martin, Martin Lawrence, and Selena Gomez is just the beginning of why this show is good, along with the other apartment dwellers, the true crime and podcast mockery, and all on the Upper West Side. Season 3 brings even more guest stars like Paul Rudd, Meryl Streep, Ashley Park (Joy Ride, Girls5Eva, and the only good thing about Emily in Paris) and Jesse Williams!
August 10th: Made in Heaven (Amazon Prime): I’ve been waiting 4 years for season 2 of this ground breaking Indian TV series. It’s about best friends and their wedding planning business, their lives and struggles, both silly and serious, including his being gay, in general in India and especially during the time of the repeal of Penal Code 377 in India which banned homosexuality, and was from British colonial law. Each episode has a wedding they plan, and the couples cross over class, caste, religion, arranged and love marriages. Fair warning for my Desi friends, no matter how old you are, I’d suggest not watching with your kids, or your parents or any of your elders, no matter how cool you think they/we are!
August 11th: Red White and Royal Blue (Amazon): This is one of my favorite contemporary romance books by a great author Casey McQuiston. It is much loved, and the movie adaptation has been long awaited. I hope that it’s just as good as the book! It’s the son of the US President and the spare Prince of the UK It’s enemies to lovers with some liberal wish fulfillment about Texas! Read the book, watch the show, do both or one of them!
August 17: Killing It (Peacock): Y'all this show is an odd one, but I watched season 1 cause it has Craig Robinson, who I’ve loved in The Office and Brooklyn 99 and Hot Tub Time Machine, and it had a wacky premise, and so so much Florida is part of that wacky - rooted in the economy and what folks are reduced to doing to make ends meet and keep their families together. Fair Warning, there’s a lot of reptile violence. If you like absurd comedies about the existential nature of the US economy, this one is for you and I am looking forward to Season 2.