My In Depth Review of the new iPhone Update
Plus some other stuff that might be fun
Boy, am I glad to see you. So much happened this week, that I’ve been dying to share. I don’t know where to start. I think we’re going to do one of those multi part articles today and we’re going to cover support, the best flavor of ice cream ever, some news about what’s not fun right now in the world of writing for TV, and a list! Let’s start with the list, those are a fun way to talk about things – or not talk about things. Also, a great way to write things without having to put any connective tissue on the bones to help guide you. Just a list. That’s it! How much fun are we about to have!
Top Eight Reasons You’re Living in The Best Era in All of History!
Are you insane? Do you not read or watch the news? Didn’t you almost run over someone nodding off from fentanyl on Tuesday? We’re living in the dystopian future John Carpenter told us about, you big dumb ass.
The brand-new iPhone OS update has this SUPER COOL thing where you can change the tint of the apps on your screen, and you can enlarge the icons of the apps! Here! Check it out!
Are you honestly expecting me to swallow this garbage? Tinted, bigger apps? Fuck you. No one’s sold a comedy pitch in months and people that have staff jobs are withholding that information from their friends because it’s so bad out there they feel guilty about having a job! What is wrong with you? Are you working? No, I mean are you getting paid to work on something? Not morning journal pages, Pukeface.
When you zoom out, things could be worse. You’re in show business, right? You just have to weather the storm, that’s all. What’s that phrase everyone’s saying? Stay alive till –
Don’t. You. Dare. Finish. That. The next person that says that is going to get their Lot H parking pass for Dodger Stadium shoved so far up their –
Ha! Dodger Stadium parking passes are all digital. And with the new iPhone OS, you can have a timer remind you when you’re close to Dodger Stadium. Tell me that isn’t something you’d never dream of. And besides, it could be worse. You could be that fentanyl guy I almost ran over.
That guy was a Co-E.P. on NCIS: Pittsburgh!
So, you’re saying there’s an opening for a Co-E.P. on a CBS drama? Those shows still do 22 episodes. What a time to be alive!
Aren’t lists great? What’s your top 8 this week? Oh, if I had to have two more to make it a top ten list? Here.
Laurie Anderson’s new album, “Amelia.” 22 Songs about Amelia Earhart’s last flight. I like Laurie so much. She inspires me with the way she listens and observes the world and gives us her glasses to see it through her eyes.
The four-album box set reissue of Dwight Yoakum’s 1980s albums on vinyl. Dude arrived to my world back then as a, “Who the hell is this?” lightning bolt. As the great philosopher Dr. Garth Brooks said, “Not a ‘screw the rules’ attitude but more like, ‘we are the rules,’ attitude.”
Yup. A little of this and a little of that.
Support is up next. I received an amazing shout out and recommend this week. From “the only canto that matters,” Gustavo Arellano’s newsletter.
Here is what he said:
Right up there with the recommend to also listen to some damn fine Louis Jordan. Love it. Thanks, compa. This is support. You work your ass off and when you do that, chances are that you will do that part alone. But when you look up from the workbench, you need support. You need people to tell people what you’re doing, to share it. Speak up about someone else’s good work. They need it, and you need it, and sharing is what cuts through all the garbage out there. Have I told you how the new iPhone OS has a feature that can pick a licensed babysitter who’s closest to your home? Or do you want to go with a recommend from your pal? It’s your kids, you do what you want, but I’m going old school referral for that.
Another reason to support each other is it is an amazing form of practicing resistance against the status quo. A lot of us artists in mediums like television or film or books – hold on – did I say books instead of “literature?” Ugh. I’m not going back to fix it. A lot of us came up during a time of a “scarcity mentality.” If they make your show, then it will mean they won’t make my show. Therefore, if I can subtly bury you or talk sideways about you, “I know that show, I haven’t seen it, is it good?” then you are holding someone down or trying to put your thumb on the scale, even in a little way, to increase your chance to get that one slot that everyone is told is only going to be one slot. I wish I could tell you that the world changed and now there’s slots for everyone. That hasn’t happened. It feels lately like instead of one slot, we’re getting feedback that maybe there’s no slots. My argument is this. One slot or no slot, support each other and root for each other. Watch stuff. Lift a glass to, “This Fool,” that show existed and it was great. And so was, “Primo.” I loved that show. Support! If I wasn’t writing this right now, I’d be going to see the play, “A Woman Named Gloria,” at Casa101. But I can wait till Sunday.
What’s not great about the world of TV writing right now? There’s been a lot of ink spilled about what’s happening with fewer shows being made, fewer new ideas being bought, and longer and longer times waiting once you sell something finding out if they’re going to make that pilot. Let’s just let those things be those things. If you read this and want to know more about that, you can check out The Ankler for more on that.
As one of the people who does the writing, there’s so many great ideas that are going to never be seen because it’s so hard to sell right now. SO many GREAT shows started off as good shows. Or good scripts. Or a great idea with a good script that got time to become a GREAT show. You can look up all the old stories about how “Seinfeld” tested poorly. I’m working on ideas for me to write, and ideas that I’m helping other people write, and when we get close but then we don’t get that opportunity to get that outline started and write a first draft to really discover how the idea feels walking around inside it and sculpting it, I get sad. I really hope that writers don’t think just because you’re not necessarily getting the ‘yes’ right now that your idea isn’t sound or good. The timing may be off, but it doesn’t mean you should drop it. Think about what other form it could take. I took an idea that didn’t get across the finish line and turned it into a comic book I love. Keep going. If you love your idea. If you didn’t love it, then maybe that’s a reason why it didn’t get across the finish line. So yeah, drop it and find something else that makes you love it like you love television and chase that.
Have a great week, and please support each other and if you like these, tell one other person. Word of mouth is the best way to build these things. I’m off to see about that NCIS: Pittsburgh job.
This next part is for subscribers and it’s super private. It’s about ice cream.
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