Saturday Morning Cartoons #58
Finally seeing stars!
Good morning, fam!
Hope you all had a good week.
After looking back over more than 50 episodes of this newsletter, I realized something:
I use the word “best” way too often.
I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t trust someone’s judgement if they went around saying, “Yo! You have to try this! It’s the BEST thing i’ve ever had!” about everything they’ve tried.
That’s why you might notice a tiny tweak in this week’s episode.
From now on, I’m going to show a little self-restraint and rate each item I share using a scale of one star (★••••) to five stars (★★★★★).
Oh, and plot twist! If I do give something five stars, it will only be one item each week.
While I try to find a more creative rating system,1 check out this week’s recs.
Calibrate that Tomatometer, embrace your inner Yelper, and let’s get into it.
Here’s what I have for you this morning:
While wandering around Half Price Books last week, I stumbled across a few oldies that weirdly spoke to me. First up? It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be by Paul Arden, a deceased advertising legend. It was short, semi-sweet, and had some decent insights on succeeding in any creative career. (★★•••)
The other classic I picked up and breezed through was The Great Gatsby, which I hadn’t read since high school.2 What can you say about a book that’s been around since 1925? Definitely some parts that haven’t aged well, but I’m a fan of the book’s critique on how the American Dream isn’t as real as we think. Plus, now I can watch the Leo DiCaprio version! (★★★••)
Abby and I mad a HUGE mistake. We tried to watch 65, Netflix’s newest sci-fi featuring Adam Driver, but it was so bad, we turned it off 20 minutes in. I’ll save you the trouble - It’s about a human who crash-lands on Earth 65 million years ago. Cool concept, shitty execution. It’s basically Interstellar meets Jurassic Park with a sprinkle of The Last of Us…if all three were mashed together by a five-year-old who has zero understanding of plot. Or character development. Or dialogue. Do yourself a favor and watch literally anything else. (★••••)
OK, so speaking of bad content, I finished How I Met Your Father Season 2 (I know), and I have to say, not all crappy content is created equal. HIMYF is bad, but it has the redeeming quality of nostalgia, which is exactly why I gave it an extra star. It ended on a pretty big cliffhanger which is a bold move considering it will probably be cancelled by the time you read this. (★★•••)
After a looong hiatus, we finally continued (and finished) Barry Season 3. All I can say is Bill Hader is freaking genius. He’s a perfect example of why more comedians should write dramas. Plus, some of the scenes were unlike anything I’ve seen on TV (i.e. the car dealership scene). Can’t wait to watch the final season! (★★★★•)
On the way to a family birthday, we stopped to get gas and snacks (as one does). Being the Rolo fanboy I am, I came across Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Rolos and couldn’t resist. They’re everything you want in a road trip snack: sweet, salty, and easily portable. The only downside? I forgot the rest in the car and they 100% melted…3 (★★★★•)
On the way to our friends’ place for a game night, I decided to go NA and picked up Casamara Club Leisure Sodas. Honestly? Probably some of the best zero proof drinks I’ve had yet. They have a light, amaro-y taste that’s perfect for this godawful heat. I’ll be turning to them for float trips, BBQ’s, and pretty much any social hang where we’ll be drinking. (★★★★•)
When it comes to Drake’s music, I would say I’m a fair-weather fan. When it comes to Drake’s marketing moves? Well, check out his newest website update and see for yourself. It’s giving MTV Cribs vibes but with a 2023, e-commerce twist. (★★★••)
As someone who’s basically lactose intolerant, this might seem like a weird link to share, but I stumbled across these “20 Strange Ice Cream Flavors You Need to Try Before You Die” and I’m fully prepared to suffer through some tummy issues if it means trying Spicy Peanut Butter Curry Coconut. The only thing I scream after eating ice cream is “Lactaid, please!” (★★★••)
For this week’s Funny Business post, the hint is: Dunkin’ on Dunkin’ (★★★★•)
You made it to the end! As a bonus, I’ll leave you with this.
Cheers,
Billy
For some reason, emojis won’t work in Substack…
It’s funny how required reading can suck the fun out of books.
On the bright side, I slurped the rest of them out of the wrapper. Sorry, TMI :)