I’m also a bit of a television snob. What can I say? I’m a Virgo and I have high standards Truthfully, I can get on board with some cheesier stuff, as long as it’s the right kind of cheese,  if ya know what I mean.

Anyway, I’m sharing a list of this month’s shows and movies that I watched so that you can check them out too if you’re looking for a little late night sleep revenge. Here goes; my personal July TV Guide!

The Righteous Gemstones, Season 3

We’ve been watching The Righteous Gemstones from the start. When I saw Danny McBride and Walter Goggins at it again (post Vice Principals) for a show that makes fun of mega churches, well, I knew it’d be the show for me. 

Fun fact: I went to a mega church once. ‘Twas a wild ride. Looked like a strip mall, everyone was wearing Tom Hardy, there was a Christian rock band playing, and I saw people get baptized in hot tubs on a big screen. A truly stark contrast to the Catholic church experience I was much more familiar with growing up. Don’t even ask me why I was there in the first place…

Anyway, season 3 still brings it with the laughs, the sick humor, and the ratchet dynamic between Jesse, Judy, and Kelvin Gemstone. All of the characters are hilarious in their own way, with Baby Billy as my own personal and forever fave. 10/10 recommend. 

Cruel Summer, Season 1

Ok, admittedly I got sucked into this one. It looked cheesy, kinda is cheesy, but still, every episode ended on a juicy cliffhanger that left me wanting more. And it was surprisingly better than I thought it was going to be. There are more seasons to this show and I only watched the first. I’m not sure I love it enough to watch more but for a show that gets your mind off the world and keeps you mentally distracted engaged, I’d say Cruel Summer wasn’t half bad. 

It takes place in the early 2000s as well, so the nostalgic part of me enjoyed the aesthetic, music selections, and more. I’d give Cruel Summer a solid 7/10 because sometimes ya just need a good filler show like this. 

Marrowbone

This movie was advertised to me on some social media site. It stars Mia Goth and a few other famous folks from before they got a bit more popular in more recent years. It’s a spooky film with a twisted plot. Kinda reminded us of The Others. I liked this one. I cried at the end, just couldn’t hold it in, lol. As a person with siblings who I hold near and dear to me, I really loved how that  family dynamic was presented in the film. 8/10 recommend. 

Maggie Moore(s)

We rented Maggie Moore(s), a dark comedy, one night when we were looking for something to watch. It’s not one I’d probably watch again or highly recommend but I was entertained the whole time and enjoyed the plot and actors overall. In the same vein of Cruel Summer, it’s a great movie to put on, if you’re looking for something to put on. 

I appreciated that it takes place in Arizona and that one of the suburban houses in the movie looks almost exactly like what you can expect at many a house in the suburbs here. I also thought it was interesting how it touched on themes of toxic masculinity and antisemitism. Overall, not too shabby. I’d give it a 7/10.  

The Bear, Season 2

I gotta say, I don’t love this one as much as everyone else seems to. It’s good, but it’s also a bit boring and obnoxious. Many of the characters are actually annoying. And I get that’s what they’re going for with the whole working class Italian family in Chicago thing but I didn’t find the incessant banter charming. It felt overdone, with Richie and Donna’s characters especially. Richie redeems himself during the last few episodes but yeah…. 

Also, the long gazes between Carmie and Claire were way too much for me I’m sorry, just too corny. There’s a way to pull off the whole dreamy thing, and this duo didn’t do it for me. Annoying.

The final episode mostly redeemed the season for me, but overall, I see The Bear as a filler show. Not one I look forward to, but ok enough to put on as I unwind at night and there’s nothing else. I give it a 6/10.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Season 5

Ok, I like this one, it’s true. I’ve been a fan since Season 1. It’s a light, fun show and sometimes that’s exactly what I need. I love that it’s a Jewish show too and centers a Jewish woman and family. It can be a little over the top and stereotype-y but it also feels like that’s done in a loving way? The show has received criticism for those reasons and because the main actress, Rachel Brosnahan, isn’t Jewish.

Overall, I felt like the series wrapped up nicely with Season 5. You can’t help but love Mrs. Maisel, even when she is a bit out of touch or annoying. She’s cute, she’s funny, she’s ambitious, and she’s ultimately a feminist. This one gets a 7/10 from me. 

But I’m a Cheerleader

I think I saw this one somewhere on IG and I wondered to myself how in the world I missed this during my adolescence? It’s starring so many actors from that time; Natasha Lyonne, Michelle Williams, Rufio from Hook, Melanie Lynskey, Clea Duvall, the list goes on. These weren’t huge actors at the time, but still…

(I did wonder if I missed it because it’s about being gay and as much as I’d like to think the 90s were a more open time, this could have played a role in why I missed it back then, whether due to lack of not noticing it myself or lack of it being presented to me in my environment).

For a film made in the 90s, I felt like it actually holds up well as far as problematic stuff and relevance for current times go, but maybe others in the LGBTQ+ community would feel differently. 

I thought this one was really cute. It’s kitschy, alternative, campy, and a sweet coming of age love story to boot. I loved it. 8/10 recommend. 

Platonic

We just finished this new Apple TV show starring Seth Rogan and Rose Byrne. Gotta say, I’m a fan of this one. It’s a well done, light-hearted comedy about two friends who reconnect after one of them goes through a divorce. I had a lot of good laughs and even if I didn’t anxiously await the next episode, I looked forward to the new episodes coming out and happily finished the first season. 

If you’re not into scary stuff or shows that are super heavy, this is a great one and a 9/10 for me.

And Just Like That

I’ve watched about half of these episodes so far. Something about this crew just annoys me now. The fact that they’re so wealthy and out of touch, perhaps? The storylines just don’t hit like they used to either. The episode where Charlotte desperately wants to know if she made the “hot moms” list at her kids’ school is a prime example. Like why? And what? Anyway, big meh here. Wish they woulda left this one in the 90s. And just like that, I give it a 5/10.

And look, I’m no actor or director or any type of creative in the film industry. I know it must be hard to pull off a great show. These are just one consumer of entertainment’s opinions so please feel free to take or leave ‘em <3 I hope you enjoyed my July TV guide!

For more blog posts like this, click here.

The post What I’m Watching: A Crotchety Millennial’s July TV Guide first appeared on Mind Tchotchkes For The Crotchety Millennial.

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A few things to consider when you’re planning a party:

• Location 
• Guest Count
• Theme
• Budget

Location:

We currently rent a townhome so our place isn’t the most ideal for hosting a birthday party. If you don’t have a big space for kids to run around, it might be best to ask a friend or family member, find another location that fits your budget, or reserve a clubhouse space if you have access to one.

We opted for a birthday at one of our favorite places, Chuck E. Cheese. It can be pricey depending on how many kids you have but since we have a small network and my kiddo isn’t in school yet, a total of 5 kids came. We rented a table for 2 hours and chose the Mega Party package. It was just what we needed. 

The kids got bracelets to use for unlimited play for a 2-hour time frame. We went on Saturday afternoon and it wasn’t too crowded.

When choosing a location, also consider your child’s personality. My kiddo doesn’t love jumping around or acting too wild. It takes her time to try new things. So if we go to a jump house or places like that, it’s not always a hit.

What I love about Chuck E. Cheese is that it offers games for all ages and rides for the littler kids. There’s enough there for her to do based on her comfort level. 

I have so many great memories of Chuck E. Cheese from my own childhood, that even though I know there are a lot of other places like it, I remain a Chuck E. Cheese loyalist. 

Guest Count

Obviously, the more kids you have, the more expensive a party is likely to be. I’m really grateful for the few little friends that my daughter has since she’s not in preschool or anything. It’s been great for her to have these connections. 

Do you want to invite the whole class? Or just a few close friends? I try to ask my kids for their preferences on it as we’re planning and see what they tell me. For this party, I really felt we had the perfect amount of everything going on.

Theme:

One of the most fun parts! What shows, characters, books, hobbies, etc. is your kid into? Let that be your guide. We went with a My Little Pony birthday party for this year. It’s been a huge favorite lately. Since the party was smaller, I decided to get custom MLP goody bags here and custom shirts here. My daughter’s birthday is close to Christmas, so I don’t mind doing it as a bit of a mashup: My Little Ponies in Santa hats.

The theme is where you get to add all the accent items and you can go as over the top or as subtle as you want. There are so many great places to shop for items, Etsy being an obvious favorite.

Lastly, consider your budget. Write one out beforehand to get an idea of what it’s going to cost you. Include everything in your mock budget: venue, decor, present, goody bags, cake, food. This will give you an idea of what you need to budget and save for and whether you want to make any adjustments. 

Bonus: Hire a photographer to cover the event. I’m a photographer so of course, I’m biased here. But I think it’s super worth it. If you don’t want to hire someone, designate a person to take pics to document the day for you. Maybe someone who’s into photography? Even if it’s just a cell phone, it’s so nice to have the memories of the day and all the hard work you put into it, documented. Not to mention, Chuck E. Cheese is pretty great for photo ops <3 Check these out from our My Little Pony birthday party:

And be sure to check out more fun posts here!

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If art imitates life, then we only need to look to movies to confirm that we need better men. 

I’m a 35-year-old, horror-loving, married mother of two. The last three horror movies I watched have me wondering why there are so many terrible male characters.

Abandoned with Emma Roberts. Watcher with Maika Monroe. And Hereditary with Toni Collette. 

If you’ve seen them, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, but you’ve watched movies in general, you still probably know what I’m talking about. 

In each of these movies, the male characters essentially believe their spouses are mentally unstable and losing their minds. They never fully trust what their wives are trying to tell them.

Yet, these women are facing real concerns and danger. Instead of being able to turn to their husbands for support, they’re ignored, gaslit, and blamed for the problems of the relationship and family.

I’ve got to be honest. It’s frustrating. 

And really, it’s not a theme exclusively reserved for horror. A few months ago we went to see Everything Everywhere All at Once at the theater and I found myself processing a similar predicament afterward. Sure, it’s a cute, entertaining movie that I enjoyed. But the more I sat with it, I hated the subconscious gender themes that emerged from the story.

The overly stressed wife who can’t seem to be happy with her life and her family. She has to go through a whole entire sci-fi adventure to be able to appreciate “all that she has”. Meanwhile, the husband is presented as a content, simple, supportive character – only trying to please and un-pleasable wife.

I googled who wrote and directed the film, and you guessed it. Two men did. 

The film makes it apparent the wife is the one whose outlook needs to change the whole time. The one whose unhappiness was causing the destruction of the family.

What’s more frustrating is I’m willing to bet these themes are entirely missed on most men going to see these same movies. And good luck if you try to point it out… (cue defensiveness and fragility).

It leaves me wondering…

Where’s the man who as a default stands by and believes his wife, from start to finish? One who, even if they’re telling him some shit that might sound hard to believe, even if it’s “intense”, is like ok, I’m going to trust this woman. Maybe I’ll even ask her what she needs and how I can help. 

Instead these men just become another barrier. Another person she has to convince to take her seriously.

Where’s the man who, when the tough gets going, doesn’t take the first opportunity to say his wife is out of control, impossible, imagining things? 

Where’s the guy who believes their wife when it comes to a situation they themselves could never completely understand? 

Do they exist?

And it feels way too familiar. And personal. Because what woman doesn’t constantly have to validate herself – whether it be in the family unit, relationship, or the workplace. 

Honestly, I believe most men will happily take an opportunity to run with the idea that their female partner is emotionally or mentally unstable on some level. It assures them of their confidence. It assures them of their position within society and within the male-female relationship. Because clearly, they’ve always been the “more stable” partner.

For every woman who’s expected to be a “ride or die” it’s hard to see that same energy, literally ever, from the other side. 

So where’s the dude who actually sees it through? Even when it gets challenging. Even when it’s a bit hard for him to understand or believe what his wife is going through. 

Where is that guy? 

Because we’re waiting. 

(For more posts on pop culture, click here).

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I love a good psychological thriller. Late night surfing the streaming channels, we settled on Abandoned with Emma Roberts and Michael Shannon. I hadn’t seen a preview or anything for the film, but I’m a fan of both actors (I mean, Emma Roberts in AHS and Michael Shannon in Boardwalk Empire, c’mon).

In the film, a young couple moves from the city into a house in the country. Emma Roberts’ character, Sara, struggles with postpartum depression and they think this move to the country is going to help her overcome it. They learn that there was a previous double murder / suicide in the house, but decide to go ahead with the purchase because they can afford the home and they don’t seem too concerned about it, oddly.

I can be pretty critical when it comes to movies, and my first thought was – umm, how is this going to make her postpartum better? Isolating herself from other human beings and moving to the country? Anyway… I held space for the fact that it was obviously set during a different time, though what year it is is a bit unclear throughout the film. It’s obvious in the fact that they don’t have cell phones, TVs, or other things that so many people use regularly these days.

Sara’s husband is out doing farm veterinary stuff all day and late into the night. Leaving her completely alone with their baby in this big, creepy house with essentially not much at all to do and little human interaction with the exception of her neighbor who is the survivor and brother of the girl who “haunts the home.”

Another example of the time period is when midway through the film, a male doctor who specializes in postpartum (umm what? That’s an oxymoron right there) comes to talk to Sara. He’s condescending and harsh with her.

Sara isn’t completely honest with him or husband. She only tells the neighbor about what she’s experiencing. And I can see why since this probably happened during a time when women were more likely to be institutionalized for their unhappiness around motherhood and family life than they were to be truly supported. It’s clear that she’s uncomfortable sharing with her husband and this doctor what she’s really experiencing.

The film progresses as Sara uncovers the disturbing details around the murders in the home.

It isn’t until she has a frightening run in with a couple child ghosts who compromise the safety of her own baby that she goes to defend her child and finally arrives at the place she’s been trying to reach – a place of connection and motherly love for her own offspring.

That morning, her husband comes home to well-rested and healthy looking Sara with breakfast made, sitting at the kitchen table. Seemingly over all her issues and ready to embrace her role as a homemaker. She looks at him and tells him something along the lines of “it’s over.” And he is obviously relieved.

Fast forward a few years, the family is laughing and just oh so happy together now (swoon). Their son has grown into a toddler. It seems they’ve overcome their problems (that all stemmed from Sara’s unhappiness and discontent – not his lack of support and absence). They’re outside swinging together, and the camera zooms out to show Sara, visibly pregnant again and looking fearfully back at the house.

Takeaways:

Abandoned leaves the viewer wondering, like Sara, was it really postpartum psychosis? Or was it truly a haunted house? Was it a combination of both?

It’s also hard to know if the relationship she has with the neighbor is founded in reality. Her husband does acknowledge the neighbor’s presence at the beginning of the movie, but it’s unclear if he was really there the other times. (Neighbor comes in during the scene where she’s meeting with the doctor, but it’s not confirmed if the doctor actually sees him).

Did Sara’s thoughts just manifest into a postpartum nightmare? Sara read the file of the murder given to her by their realtor and having her symptoms on top of being in almost total isolation, it seems possible. But also, maybe the house just really was haunted.

Then there’s the gender themes. With topics like gaslighting, gender inequities, and mental health, currently getting more action, it could be part of the reason why I’m noticing this more in films, on top of my own experience as a mother, wife, and woman.

Sara’s husband is largely unhelpful and dismissive. I almost died when she has a scary run in with the ghosts and she sets her baby down, unaware that the baby gate to the stairs is actually unlocked (it looks locked). She stares into the room with the ghosts as her baby nears the staircase.

Sara turns around at the last minute as her husband storms out of their bedroom and picks up the baby. Accusing Sara of being unfit, yelling at her, he takes the baby into their bedroom and shuts the door on her in the middle of the night. She wakes up the next day having fallen asleep at the desk in the room where she saw the ghosts. He doesn’t comfort her. He doesn’t try to talk to her or understand what’s going on. He doesn’t start coming home earlier from work. Honestly? He sucks.

A big focus of the film is Sara and her mental health and how it affects her whole family. It’s her responsibility to be happy in her situation in order for her family to accept her and to be able to continue on with their simple, happy life.

As a woman who’s been pregnant three times and had two kids, I felt 100 percent in Sara’s corner. Having postpartum depression can feel shameful, even these days. Admitting you’re not feeling super happy and content as a new mother isn’t easy. And I do believe women will downplay symptoms and feelings in order to not alarm others or to present as if they are completely happy with motherhood.

Overall, this movie left me thinking, which for me is a mark of a good movie. I wondered how it’d go for Sara with this next baby. Will the ghosts/her postpartum return? I thought a lot about how it applies to current gender roles and expectations, despite being set in a different time. I thought the allegory of a postpartum story and a horror film experience was well done.

It’s creepy but not gory, gross or in your face, even with the themes of rape and abuse. I’d give this film a solid B+ and would recommend it to other horror loving fans.

The post Abandoned: Postpartum or Poltergeists?  first appeared on Mind Tchotchkes For The Crotchety Millennial.

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As a teen, I never did finish season 3. I’m not sure why. Maybe I was deep down just too loyal to Mischa Barton to keep going after she dies in Season 2.

Welp, fast forward to 2020. A hell of a year for many folks. Felt like everyone was going through it in more than one way. Whether it was adjusting to a global pandemic, tuning in to the racial unrest following the murder of George Floyd, having Trump as a President…. It was honestly a tough year.

And alas, one night, while scrolling through the streaming channels for something to watch, we saw the good ol’ O.C. on HBO. What started out as a “lol yeah right, this shit’s about to be so bad” moment, quickly turned into an evening routine that both my husband and I looked forward to as we quickly ran through all three seasons.

I’m a show snob for sure, and I can honestly say the O.C. ranks up high for me. I could never get into Gossip Girl or the Hills, but The O.C. – you have my heart.

Without a doubt, there are some hilariously corny moments, like when Ryan slow motion runs into the New Year’s Eve Party at Oliver’s to kiss Marissa at the last second before the clock strikes midnight.

The drama is definitely there. The writing really isn’t half bad. Seth keeps it quick-witted for at least the first two seasons before it starts to get a bit tired.

Ryan’s acting… it’s not great. He’s pretty monotoned emotionally, even when he’s supposed to be fighting or pissed off. But that’s also part of what makes it so hilarious to watch.

And I mean, woah with the gaslighting in this show. Ryan gets gaslit A LOT by these rich people. Most of the fights he gets into aren’t actually his fault, ahem to the whole Oliver ordeal, and that house burning down was not on him, damnit. But that’s a whole post for another day…

Marissa and Ryan’s dynamic is pretty… frustrating. All series long. They can’t really ever seem to get it right. And their on screen chemistry is not where it’s at.

I have to say, the characters who I consistently enjoyed the most until the end were Sandy Cohen and Julie Cooper.

When it’s all said and done, there’s just something about The O.C. that keeps you coming back.

I could go on. I’m not even sure how to wrap up this post and how much I thoroughly enjoyed re-watching the whole series. It was exactly what I needed when I was going through an especially shitty time at work and in general (hi 2020). I’m probably gonna write even more posts about this show because I still have so much to say, lol.

I recommend giving it a watch. You’ll get in some good laughs, whether it’s a line that’s actually meant to be funny (cue Seth and Summer). A flashback into the early 2000s – oh the style and those pooka shell necklaces, and the language like when Luke accuses Ryan of “mackin’ on his girl”. Or the hilarious fight scenes between Ryan and… well lots of people. It’s good shit.

My spouse and I both often grieve the fact that it’s over, and jokingly (but also seriously) ask each other “Will we ever find anything like The O.C. again?”

The post An Ode to The O.C. first appeared on Mind Tchotchkes For The Crotchety Millennial.

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