Black Friday (The Shopping Trend and its Origins)

If you want to know how ridiculous Black Friday had become, look no further than South Park’s parody on ‘Game of Thrones’.  

I know the deal they offered on ‘South Park’ was exaggerated, but the fight to get a $99 knockoff 40 inch tv is shockingly true, that people actually die because of getting run over by shoppers.

http://consumerist.com/2014/11/25/walmart-still-avoiding-paying-7000-fine-for-worker-killed-by-black-friday-shoppers-in-2008/

This is ‘The Rejected Playboy’ trying to uncover this madness regarding ‘Black Friday’.  Mainly, how did ‘Black Friday’ was associated with shopping, even though it shares the same bad luck with the stock market, JFK, poker players (Pokerstars), and pop music (Rebecca Black).  For starters, let’s go back to 1966 within the streets of Philadelphia.

Yes, way before Rocky take on Apollo Creed, the Philly police had to deal with huge crowds of shoppers that were causing so much traffic jams, they dubbed it ‘Black Friday’.

There it is folks, the Philly police used ‘Black Friday’ as a dreadful day to work overtime in order to deal with the massive crowds after Thanksgiving.  It gets ‘better’.  In 1975, not only the cops had to deal with the overcrowded shoppers, but also the Army-Navy game, which was playing at then still intact, JFK Stadium.

If you had been to conventions that’s also hosting a sporting event, you already know how much headache Public Safety had to face.

But wait, there’s another revelation that’s occurring on ‘Black Friday’.  Despite the recession that occurred before, shoppers are still looking for deals.  So much so, that companies realize that ‘Black Friday’ means another term:  When their sales earnings are heading to the ‘black’!  

Combine the fact that theoretically marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season during the final stretch of the 4th quarter, the negative connotation regarding ‘Black Friday’ was changed as a positive for merchants and retailers who were struggling to clean out their inventory for the next year.  

That’s right, ‘Black Friday’ was officially commercialized.  

However, ‘Black Friday’ wasn’t a real issue until recently because it wasn’t the busiest shopping day of the year until 2003.  That honor goes to ‘The Saturday before Christmas’.  

That is, until retailers are starting to get a little too greedy.  You see, since 2004, there’s a little thing called the Internet that’s dissuading shoppers from leaving their house.  Not wanting to lose out the competition, some retailers decided to make Thanksgiving their ‘Black Friday’ instead.  

Even though some venues are opened on Thanksgiving, the hatred of it stems that companies wanted to increase the bottom line at the cost of their employees.  And not giving overtime or other incentives to do so.  And failing to give them proper protections.  Or any notable promotion opportunities.  Or, just something…..

And it’s all because you want that $99 42-inch no-name TV, which is probably sold out 10 minutes into the sale.  Or that $10 toaster, sold out in 20 minutes.  Or maybe that towel that was sold out in 30 minutes, despite it not a real discount on Black Friday.

Notice the pattern?  Most of these so called deals aren’t that much of a deal at all.  What even worse is they are in limited quantities.  Yeah, 10 deals for a crowd that’s has at least a hundred shoppers.  To put into perspective, they’re just using these improbable deals to get into their stores.  

Not only Black Friday has been a negative connotation with commercialization, there aren’t any deals to brag about other than dealing with pushy shoppers.  If you really want a decent deal, just check out Lifehacker for all those details, use your favorite credit card if there are hidden deals inside, or clip, clip, clip coupons.

http://lifehacker.com/5973864/the-best-time-to-buy-anything-during-the-year

Until then, this is ‘The Rejected Playboy’.  Winter is coming…..

Review: ET (song) by Katy Perry in response to Extraterrestrial

(Introduction to ET on Atari.  Died after losing his last life)

This is ET on Atari and for odd reason, there were music videos, documentaries, and a whole movie based on this videogame!

I don’t know what’s the big deal about this game!  Something about landfills, crashes, and The Nerd or something.  However, there’s a big deal about this song I’m covering for today.  This is The Rejected Playboy.  For starters, let’s discuss Katy Perry.

Ah, Katy Perry, the gospel singer from Santa Barbara who sang such classics as ‘I kissed a girl’ and ‘Ur So Gay’.  Yep, getting people ‘talking’ was definitely a way to level up your stardom.  Though, ‘Waking Up in Vegas’ isn’t that bad.

During her peak of her career, she had a brief marriage with ‘Russell Brand’, the guy who appeared in the ‘Arthur remake’ and supposedly ‘Drop Dead Fred’.  

(Picture of Fred Flintstone dropping dead)

Katy Perry made a few songs that was theoretically about her relationship including ‘Teenage Dream’, ‘The One that Got Away’, and this topic for today:  ‘ET’

I have to break my character for a moment.  I know ET and how it nearly destroyed the entire videogame industry.  What really boggles me is how this song was titled:  E. T.  

What are you trying to do, piggyback the success of Steven Spielberg?  One company already did that and failed miserably! (Atari)

Wait a minute….are you stating that you have the hots for E. T.?  I don’t want to be too judgemental but, <yeesh>....

Yes, we know he has a thing about Reese’s Pieces and can become a party drunk whenever he pleases, but all he does is collect telephone pieces while running away from mad scientists and the FBI.  The less I say about his finger technique, the better.  

For some odd reason, I don’t want to know about the ‘other’ E. T. movies.  In fact, I’m surprised there’s a Rule 34 for E. T.  

NO, I WON’T SHOW THE CLIPS.  Here’s a drunk parody instead.

(The Critic:  DT:  The Drunken Terrestrial)

Back to the song, at least for a song like E. T., it’s catchy, right?  

Um, no….

(E. T. song)

If anybody’s making a song about intergalactic love, at least make it upbeat.  Katy Perry’s version seems so dull, that it feel forced or something.  Of course, that’s a possibility considering how aliens probe your butt or something.  

But that’s only the tip of the iceberg.  I haven’t covered Kanye’s collaboration.  

Oh, Kanye, how you showboated your antics at the hurricane relief and Taylor Swift, giving you the perception how you don’t understand ‘Fishsticks’.  That’s the problem I have about Kanye.  He claims that he’s one of the most talented musicians in the world and the only thing I heard from him recently is a corny love song for some socialite who got her fame by leaking her sex tape!

Speaking of his guest vocals, it still didn’t add much to Katy Perry.  It probably made it worse because the rap verse didn’t transition well.  

Why can’t we having something a little more energy like these soundtracks from Japan?

Please teacher!

(Shooting Star by Kotoko)

FLCL

(Ride on Shooting Star by The Pillows)

Urusei Yatsura

(Lum’s Love Song)

Even ‘A Flock of Seagulls’ had energy!  And this was back in the 80s!

(Space Age Love Song)

Well, at least there couldn’t be any alien songs worse than this.  Right?

(Britney Spears’ ‘Alien’)

Okay you win.  This is ‘The Rejected Playboy’ saying, if you like to swing on the stars and be better off where you are, you rather go to earth (and not listen to ET)! 

Dumber than 'Dumb and Dumber': Stupid Criminals

This is ‘The Rejected Playing’ ripping on current events and relationship issues.  What’s even dumber than ‘Dumb and Dumber’?  How about stupid criminals.

Yes, I’m taking this off from Jay Leno’s playbook, but you can’t help but smirk at the stupid criminals whether it’s shoplifting a turkey between your thighs or showing a stolen credit card directly at a security camera.  In most cases, it’s makes law enforcers lives easier.  

So what criminal act they committed in ‘Dumb and Dumber’?  Holding a ransom at an International Airport during broad daylight!

There’s a reason why ransoms occur at night at an undisclosed location:  You won’t get caught!  I’m sorry, but if you’re going to make a plotline about kidnapping, think harder next time!  

So let’s break down why it’s a terrible idea to have a ransom at an airport.  Leaving a suitcase in the middle of the airline check-in would definitely raise a red flag for both airport security and the state police!  It’s not like an unmarked luggage would suspect a terrorist attack or something.  Oh wait, yes it does!

Not to mention, if there was a security breach, cameras are everywhere at the airport, which would’ve no doubt detected the two ransom suspects.

But wait, it gets ‘better’.  Because Lloyd had an infatuation with the passenger, he decided to run after her to return the package.  

How he bypass security checkpoint is beyond me.  By that time, the airport would go on a lockdown, review some of the cameras, and start arresting suspects.  

Instead, we get a plotline with Lloyd convincing Harry to go on a road trip to return the suitcase.  If his IQ was 30 points higher than ‘Forrest Gump’, he would have sent the suitcase to authorities for inspection instead.  

Yep, that’s pretty much the plot device for ‘Dumb and Dumber’, a stupid criminal act gone wrong that lead ‘Dumb and Dumber’ on a road trip.  That’s pretty much dumb.  And I was dumb enough to point all of these flaws out!

Say what you want about ‘The Stupids’, but at least the crooked arms dealer gets the idea about holding a deal at an undisclosed location.  ‘Beavis and Butthead’ are also stupid, but at least the crooks knew how to take advantage of their lowly intellect.  As for….(Miss march) nope, I won’t talk about that!

So next time, if you’re going to do a road trip movie, try to make it ridiculously plausible.  National Lampoon’s ‘Vacation’ got that one right.

This is ‘The Rejected Playboy’ saying:  Having an obsessive crush is indeed destructive.  I mean that both figuratively and literally!  

Maleficent: Laziest Disney Villain ever (Disney's Sleeping Beauty)

This is Antibishonen Speaks.  You’re getting sleepy, you’re getting sleepy….Forget it, I’ll cut to the chase; Maleficient is the laziest Disney Villain I had ever seen!

You heard that right, Maleficent may have been the most feared Disney Villain, but her track record of evilness is as miniscule as the amoeba boys.  Don’t believe me?  Well, let me do a comparison.

Ursula, another feared Disney Villain, not only manipulated the merpeople by using their inferiority complexes, she briefly possessed King Triton’s crown to control the sea.

Gaston, while an egotistical buffoon, successfully manipulated the townspeople by organizing a mob to ‘kill the beast’.  

And ‘The Coachman’?  Oh cor blimey, the coachman!  One of the scariest scenes I have ever seen!  It’s also a rare case where the Disney villain got away!

With all these villains’ diabolical plans, you thought Maleficent would do something that would top them all, right?  WRONG!  All what Maleficent did was to place a curse on Aurora by pricking her finger at a spindle of a spinning wheel.  Even Rumplestiltskin would scratch his head for something anti-climatic like that.  More embarrassing is that the curse was reduced to a deep sleep where it can be broken by a true love’s kiss!  

Because of this loophole, you would have thought Maleficent would personally find Aurora and have the curse come full circle.  She did, but only after sixteen years where her minions failed to find her!

Yeah, don’t you think that if they couldn’t find her for many years, you would think that, hey, Maleficent, can you help find the princess instead of sitting on your throne, you lazy bitch?  

YOU’RE THE MISTRESS OF ALL EVIL FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!!  AND YOU’RE TELLING ME THAT YOU USED YOUR MINIONS ALL THIS TIME?!

Sheesh, it makes me wonder how on earth Maleficent kept that slender figure!  Anyway, yeah, she went into action by using her pet raven to find the princess.  And giving a precise description no less!  Instead of 16 long years, it only took a day or two to pinpoint her hideout!  Imagine how you would feel if a task like that took two days instead of sixteen years.  I’m willing to bet you would rage in fury.

So finally, Maleficent’s plan went in motion by fulfilling the spinning wheel curse and capturing the prince.  Yes, I admit, her speech to the prince was cynically awesome.  

With that charming speech, what does Maleficent do?  Did she went back to the throne and plan her next takeover?  Does she summon her minions to watch over the prince in case he tries to escape?  NO!  After fulfilling her curse for sixteen long years, she boast that she can finally sleep well, ironically enough!

Yes, my statement still stands:  Maleficent is the laziest Disney Villain ever!  

Scar may have been an incompetent tyrant, but at least he took over Pride Rock.  

Jafar went over his head by turning himself into a genie, but he at least took over Agrabah by finally stealing the lamp.  

The Sheriff of Nottingham can’t see through Robin Hood’s disguise, but at least he can sentence Friar Tuck to death!

And Darth Vader is Luke’s father.  I don’t get it.

As for Maleficent, her laziness eventually became her downfall!  The prince escaped, he overcame Maleficent’s wrath, and defeated her right after she cornered him!  

So what’s the lesson we learned regarding Maleficent?  Don’t sleep at your job!  I mean it!

It baffles me why Maleficent tops the list of Disney Villains even though she barely did anything sinister.  That Disney Villain honor should reserve to someone who wasn’t defeated and did something horrifically evil.  Honestly, the coachman still scare the bejesus out of me!   

Yet, I can’t help that it’s the design and the personality that made her threatening.  I just really wished that she can be more intimidating.  

This is Antibishonen Speaks, saying, why of all time did the fairy godmothers blow their cover all because of the dress color?  I’ll never know.

Dorothy's Tragic Fate (Disney's Return to OZ)

    Greetings, everyone.  This is Antibishonen Speaks talking about current events and relationships.   Well, Walt Disney’s released Oz:  The Great and Powerful and another studio released Legends of Oz:  Dorothy’s Return, so let’s analyze Dorothy in the first two movies.  

    The first movie, The Wizard of Oz, don’t need much explanation though it baffles me how  she managed to survive a hurricane when her house was caught in the center of the tornado.  

    Don’t tell me it’s magic!

    As for the movie, it’s a classic tale where you get to squish witches with a house, snatch other peoples precious slippers (I won’t make an obvious joke), and realized in the end that your adventure to the Emerald City was pretty pointless because Glinda didn’t tell you about the shoes magical powers.  To the movies credit, you get to see Dorothy bitchslap The Cowardly Lion and unintentionally destroy Elphaba with plain-ass water.  

    So, with that classic tale closing with her back in Kansas, you thought it would be a wonderful homecoming, right?

    Unfortunately, her return to Kansas wasn’t pretty because six months after her trip back in Oz, she was declared legally insane and was confined to shock therapy.  That’s what you get for discussing flying monkeys, talking scarecrows, and witches that can be killed by plain-ass water.

    This is the basis of Return to Oz, another nifty movie created by Walt Disney.  You know how Walt Disney movie works; they create a charming tale where all the kids can dance around and sing classical songs.....

(Return to Oz)

    ‘And scare the bejesus out of you.’  Disney was at its darkest point.  This was released around the same time ‘The Black Cauldron’ was in theaters and it’s no wonder many viewers don’t remember this darker sequel.  I mean, there’s the headless witch, the creepy wheelies, and the Nome King known to steal the ruby slippers (Again, won’t make an obvious joke).  

    Nevermind the Wicked Witch of the West, it’s the Nome King everyone should worry about in Oz.  Take a breather.  Hold on a Care Bear.

    She can’t leave because the Nome has the slippers.  She took a glimpse of Oz, that’s pretty much in ruins.  Also, getting stalked by wheelers is frightening.  Don’t forget the fact about the trauma she had at the institution.  At least she has her new friends including Tik-Tok, not making a Kesha reference, Jack Pumpkinhead, and Gump who can fly!  Almost forgot, there’s a talking chicken name Bellina.  

    Sing Earthbound if you want, but her life was on the line because she had to find Scarecrow in an inanimate object, which is green-related.  

    You better run, because you pissed off the Nome King.  He’s a hothead!  So he ate Gump (partially), and now he wants to eat Jack Pumpkinhead.  

    Look, he’s flying!  But wait, his life’s on the balance because there’s a chicken and eggs would melt the Nome King.  What do you know, it melted the Nome King, but not without a scary Raiders of the Lost Ark montage.  

    So finally, Dorothy, frighten by everything she saw, wished Oz back the way it was.  Heh, she pulled a Dragonball Z.  Surprise, surprise, everything went back to normal.  Just like in the previous installment, she was sent home to Kansas, again.  There’s a little twist in the ending, the institution was struck down by lighting, slaying the doctor and many other employees in that hospital because they messed around with Ozma who happens to be the true ruler of Oz.  Karma’s a bitch!

    That’s pretty much the tale of Dorothy and her journey to Oz.  Yes, Oz looks like hell, but it NOT as bad when Dr. Oz discussing about the uncivilized nature at Oz penitentiary!  

This is Antibishonen Speaks.  For those who were incarcerated in Oz, prepare for Preparation H.

Spiderman 3 featuring Gwen Stacy?!

(Spiderman theme)

    Hello, everyone!  This is your friendly neighbor, Antibishonen Speaks!  Yes, I'm here to talk about Spiderman, but first a little confession.  I’m only familiar with the Saturday morning cartoon and it took me a while to somewhat absorb other important storylines that were in the original comics.  Which I’ll get to….

    In the meantime, let's take a look at the disappointment we call 'Spiderman 3'.

    Show of hands, who thought Venom was going to be the main villain?  Just as I thought, that's why the movie was a disappointment!  

    Alright, nevermind the fact we only get to see Venom for 10 minutes, the stifle relationship between Peter and Mary Jane, and…(Emo Spiderman) yeah I’m going to discuss that, there’s one particular storyline that bothered me more than ‘that’.  

    At first, I was pumped when they showed the rocky relationship between Spiderman and Mary Jane.  After all, she called off the engagement so she can have a relationship with Spiderman!  From here, we can finally put their love to the test.  Unfortunately, I spoke too soon when Spiderman rescued this mysterious lady.  At first, It didn't really offend me UNTIL the character's name was revealed.  

(Gwen Stacy)

    Gwen Stacy?  Gwen Stacy?!!!! This is Antibishonen Speaks.  For those who don't know Gwen Stacy, she’s not that big of a deal aside THE FACT THAT she was originally Spiderman's girlfriend prior to Mary Jane!

    I have a feeling I’m not the only one ranting about the poor choice of names especially when Spiderman’s relationship was thrown in the back-burner because somebody believe married couples don’t make interesting stories!

My reaction would probably be different if the producers had used another name.  Here are some good alternatives:  Betty Brant, Liz Allen, Debra Whitman, Michele Gonzales, Marcy Kane, Carol Danvers (yes, ‘that’ Ms. Marvel) , and even Felicia Hardy (aka The Black Cat)!

ANYBODY BUT GWEN STACY!!!

    For those unfamiliar with Gwen Stacy, she was Spiderman’s former girlfriend and was a rival love interest to Mary Jane.  Just to remind you, Mary Jane was an offscreen character until the big reveal.  

    In sharp contrast, in the movie, she plays as a romantic foil to Mary Jane as a way for Peter to get back at her, (Spiderman 2) ironically enough.  Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane are in the same room together with Spiderman (dancing like an idiot!)...I'll get to that later!

So why is Gwen Stacy such a big deal in Spiderman 3?  Because she’s dead.  I can’t believe I have to spell it out.

    I thought producers knew Mary Jane became Spiderman's next love interest by default because Gwen Stacy died when Spiderman tried to save her!  And from The Green Goblin no less!  Even a sadder twist of fate when Gwen Stacy’s father died due to the ongoing battle between Spider-man and Doc Ock.  

Yeah, this is no ordinary reason why this relationship was rocky.  It’s gets even ‘better’, since Spidey was in a relationship with Gwen, Mary Jane went with Harry Osborne instead, not realizing he’s the son of ‘The Green Goblin’.  When Mary Jane decided to end Harry’s relationship, things just went downhill.  Harry overdosed because of the ended relationship and Norman lost control of his mind turning back to ‘The Green Goblin’.  Then, he abducted Gwen Stacy, threw her off the bridge, and the moment hits the fans...

This tragic event was a big deal to many Spidey fans and let them wonder who was Peter's true love.  However, the real debate is whether she died from shock or if Spiderman unintentionally broke her neck trying to save her from falling in the Hudson.  Even though the editors stated the whiplash effect caused her death, there were other theories including the overwhelming shock as boastly stated by ‘The Green Goblin’, or if the rescue was a fruitless endeavor since she would’ve died anyway if Spidey didn’t intervene.  

Which brings us back to ‘Spiderman 3’ and yes, this scene….

This little treat is perhaps the reason why Spidey fans lost faith.  That and Joe Quesada.

Yeah….I mentioned before that when you obtain a franchise, whether the studio is big or small, you know you’re going to deal with the die-hard fans that will cry foul when you butcher their icon.  As proven with some fans who were able to watch ‘The Amazing Spider-man 2’, I’m surprised he’s still relevant after all the terrible fates he went through.

(Majora Joke)

    Spiderman 3 was a huge letdown.  People paid to see Venom.  What they got is 99% BS, 1% Venom!  For me, it was Gwen Stacy that turned me away.  I might be making up a conspiracy, but I think this is the reason why Sam Raimi fail to secure the next Spiderman sequel.

   

    This is Antibishonen Speaks, letting you know that with great franchises come with great responsibility!  

Capt. America: Produced in Yugoslavia

This is Antibishonen Speaks discussing current events and relationships.  In honor of The Winter Soldier, I’m going to discuss Captain America; the first movie adaptation.  But first, a prologue about superhero movies.

(slideshow)

Superhero movies weren’t really kind to the 80s and the 90s since they are usually produced by low-budget producers including the Golan-Globus team.  Though some franchises survived mediocrity, many superheroes were never taken seriously until the turnaround came after the year 2000.

And wouldn’t you know:  Captain America was one of those heroes that suffered this fate.  Not only Captain America suffered from the dragged on TV pilot, the movie suffered when it produced by one of the Golan-Globus producers.  

And one of the most unfortunate actors who got the big role was Matt Salinger, aka the son of the late J. D. Salinger (who authored ‘Catcher in the Rye’).  As what many actors have feared, a big role like this usually make or break any other potential acting work.  

(Self)

And boy did Matt Salinger hit a brick wall when he premiered in the ‘90s Captain America’.  It also didn’t help that ‘90s Captain America’ acted more like an irresponsible jerk.

However, that’s not the reason why I didn’t like Captain America.  There’s one critical flaw about this movie that had nothing to do with the superhero himself.  

I might be a snob about saying this, but I’m critical when there are movies that aren’t filmed at their proper location, especially when it comes to historical drama or contemporary fiction.  

(slideshow)

For instance, in the movie ‘Miracle’, it made me wanna cry when I found out Disney filmed the famous Lake Placid Olympic scene in Canada, even though Herb Brooks Arena is still intact.  Adding more insults to injury, the extras that chanted ‘USA’ at the end are Canadians.  

However, I do give leeway to some movies when producers tried to find suitable locations.  Dirty Dancing was filmed in North Carolina because they weren’t able to find a suitable resort in the Catskills.

(self)

What does this have to do with Captain America?  Well, producers knew that filming in Eastern Europe is a cost-saving, tax-incentive strategy.  Unfortunately, if not done correctly, critics would see through the ruse and declare this movie a cheaply made production, ironically enough.  But this unintentionally make ‘90s Captain America’ infamous.

(slideshow)

Why?  Because ‘90s Captain America’, a movie based on an American Superhero, was partially produced in former Yugoslavia.  

Golan, you made ‘Captain America’ in a country that used to practice Communism!

I’m speechless how this project was greenlit in the first place.  Yes, I know then Eastern Europe aren’t usually up to date on American Culture, but how Yugoslavia overlooked ‘Captain America’ is beyond explanation.  The word ‘America’ is right there in front of the title and this was still at the height of the Cold War!  Though, Yugoslavia had issues with Stalin.

As expected, Captain America didn’t do well with the critics and the fans.  Matt Salinger is only a footnote in the movie industry, Captain America franchise went into a standstill, and Marvel was hit hard due to bad business deals including the comic book speculative market.  It barely survived bankruptcy from two corporate raiders.  

Thankfully, Captain America is back into theaters, along with the other Marvel franchises that survived the turmoil.  Just don’t let any low-class producer make a movie like that again!  It’s the patriotic way to support the red, the white, and the blue for Captain America.  

This is Antibishonen Speaks reminding you to protect the environment!  Be sure to recycle….

Oh forget it, nobody gives a hoot!

The Passion of Jim Caviezel

Ten years ago, there was a movie that was so controversial, that it tested people’s faith, both in a figurative and in a literal sense.  It also didn’t help that it was released around the same time where the Catholic Priests also dealt with an ever bigger problem that shook the entire world.  (Shotacon)

Hey everyone, this is Antibishonen Speaks discussing current events and relationships.  Today, I’m going to discuss Jim Caviezel and ‘The Passion of the Christ’.

Yes, we are all desensitized with the graphic violence and strong language, but it got people talking when religion went into the spotlight, especially when Mel Gibson was involved.

Yes, we all know the aftermath of Mel Gibson’s crazy antics with his DUI incident.   Though, I’m still surprised it didn’t derail his career, unlike other celebrities (Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Bynes) that were under the radar.

Yes, there’s was also that other controversy when ‘The Passion’ was portrayed as Anti-Semitic.  

However, despite all the controversies, I’m surprised not many people discussed about the main actor that played Jesus:  Jim Caviezel.

Jim Caviezel had ups and downs in his acting career starting from turning down a Juilliard scholarship in order to star in Kevin Costner’s Wyatt Earp.  Years later, he followed up with minor roles in ‘Murder, She Wrote’, ‘The Wonder Years’, and ‘G. I. Jane’.  Eventually, he had a big break when he appeared in ‘The Thin Red Line’, paving ways to other bigger roles including ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’.  

After his success with ‘Monte Cristo’, Jim Caviezel won the part of ‘Passion of the Christ’.  Here’s what might have surprised people:  Mel Gibson begged him not to take the role.

Yes, out from Mel Gibson’s mouth, he begged Jim Caviezel not to take the role.  This is a huge surprise considering how producers usually call the shots against the actors wishes.  

Even more shocking is that Mel Gibson warned him that ‘The Passion’ would affect his career.  Again, producers usually over-promise future acting prospects.  

Jim Caviezel went against Mel Gibson’s advice and said:

‘Mel, this is what I believe.  We all have a cross to carry.  I have to carry my own cross.  If we don’t carry our crosses, we are going to be crushed under the weight of it.  So let’s go and do it.’

Another footnote to add, he was 33 years old that time and shared the same initials with Jesus Christ.  Please refrain from making any conspiracies.  

http://www.cbn.com/700club/features/scottross-jim_caviezel_1.aspx

‘The Passion of the Christ’ premiered on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2004 and it caused a stir in religious communities.  Nevermind about the graphic violence, this movie was accused for being Anti-semitic and for historical inaccuracies.  Mainly, no, there’s no such thing as stigmata because victims are crucified by the wrists and crows don’t attack humans alive because they are scavengers.   

Also, may I have to remind you about ‘Mel Gibson’s crazy antics’?

As what Mel Gibson had predicted, Jim Caviezel admitted he had a hard time finding work in Hollywood.  

Don’t really feel bad about him, he overcame the acting drought by landing a leading role in ‘Person of Interest’, a CBS crime drama series that was renewed for the fourth season.  

In addition, he got a leading role in a sports drama ‘What the Game Stands Tall’ as coach Bob Ladouceur, which is set to premier in Aug.  

Okay fine, you can say his acting career resurrected.  There, are you happy now, conspiracists?  

This is Antibishonen Speaks remind you not to drink and drive.  Otherwise, you have to hear the tabloids all day long.  

Brickleberry

Ed. Note:  Was meant to be released on Sept. 13, 2013 to coincide with Friday the 13th (obviously)

Yes, Friday the 13th had passed and I’m aware people had played this superstitious legend to death especially when it’s related to Jason Vorhees.

However, I, Antibishonen, will discuss something different that would have every camp counselor and Jason to start slashing this show to death:  Brickleberry.

Ah Brickleberry, a newcomer show that replaced Futurama….and not many Futurama fans appreciated Viacom’s decision to shake the primetime lineup.  Remind me again why people are turning away their TVs?

No big surprise, Brickleberry wasn’t critically acclaim by critics.  It also didn’t help that Daniel Tosh, the comedian who made a rape comment ‘too soon’, was involved with the production.  That’s two strikes against Brickleberry.

Unfortunately, I already called strike three on Brickleberry because I watched a couple of episodes and had to face the unfortunate fact that it doesn’t add anything new on the table.

Bottom Line: It’s not funny.  

If you’re recycling every other show out there without adding a unique spin into the premise, there’s a backlash waiting to happen.
(South Park, Family Guy, American Dad, Parks and Recreation, The Irate Gamer)

Sadly, that’s how I felt about Brickleberry after the first episode and I understand why critics felt the same way.

Feel free to haze me defending Family Guy:  Even though they rely mostly on cutaway gags, they’re funny.  I remember some of the gags including the physical violence and the giant chicken!

In contrast to Brickleberry, it’s just a thud.  Though there were a few gags that I smirked at, especially when Brickleberry took a jab at PETA, most of them were predictable or weren’t funny at all.  Seriously?  A wilderness sex joke in the first episode?  That joke had been done before!  In fact, I’m convinced The Bronx Zoo cashed in the hanky panky to increase attendance.  Admit it!

Oh yeah, there are other jokes Brickleberry made including a Token Black joke and a closeted lesbian joke.  Are they funny?  No, because South Park already made better racist jokes and Brickleberry is only playing catch-up!  

Even Malloy the bear cub antics fell apart before there was the ultimate punchline!  He was forced to stop eating junk food….just like American Dad…..and start eating healthy.  Unfortunately, his eating habits end up with a freeloader who seems to like animals a little too much….There you go, you already know what’s going to happen.  No plot twist, no unexpected scenarios, nothing.  It’s just there.

Listen Comedy Central, if you’re going to introduce an edgier cartoon, at least try to be funny or give us a few surprises.  In fact, find better writers who can make better joke than the people who was involved with Howard Stern or Movie 43!  Once again, manatees create better gags!  Repeat, manatees create better gags!

(Sigh) The only thing that could redeem my point across is when Matt Stone and Trey Parker watch a few episodes on ‘Brickleberry’  This is Antibishonen Speaks, I await their challenge.